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Fulton’s CNY Community Arts Center, 121 Cayuga St., is set to raise a section of its theater stage and make other building improvements as part of a $600,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative, (DRI), project, it was announced by Bonnie McClellan, CNY Arts interim executive director.
“The city is thrilled to see this project moving forward which will enhance the capabilities of the arts center and help enrich the programs and presentations they offer our community,” said Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels.
According to McClellan, a 36-foot section of the existing roof above center stage will be raised to increase the height above the stage floor from nine feet to 19 feet with a dormer style roof. “This higher ceiling will allow us to extend stage lighting higher and helps us enhance stage performance designs with higher or larger set pieces,” McClellan said. C&S Companies, Syracuse, are the design engineers.
In addition to the new roof section, the exterior of the building will receive a brick facelift, McClellan said. “The bricks will be lime-washed to lighten them and brighten the overall appearance,” she said. “Also, we’ll be installing downlit LED lighting around the entire roof perimeter that will illuminate all sides of the building. An exciting feature of this lighting is that we can change its color to match holidays and seasons. For example, we can make them green for St. Patrick’s Day or red for Valentine’s Day.”
There are also plans to create murals on several of the exterior walls, similar to the one on S. First St. across from Fulton Savings Bank, McClellan said, as well as new, more visible signage.
The CNY Community Arts Center offers studio fine arts, cinema arts, performing arts, culinary arts, and writing arts. It is home to Kami’s Kix Dance Studio, Nora’s Soups, Salads and Sandwiches, and space is available for rent for private functions. Among the theater productions that have been performed at the center are Godspell, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Willy Wonka Jr., Much Ado About Nothing, Oliver, Seussical Jr., The Wizard of Oz, Twelve Angry Men, and more.
The tentative timetable for the project is to have contactor bids out in April, construction starting in June, and completion of the project by early fall, 2023, McClellan said.
For more information on CNY Community Arts Center, visit cnyartscenter.com, or call 315-598-2787.
