CANTON − Banging a sledgehammer against the brick exterior wall of the Canton Palace Theatre was a lot more fun than a typical groundbreaking ceremony.
Supporters of the Palace Theatre’s $19 million renovation and expansion project donned a hard hat, grabbed a golden hammer and took turns swinging at the venerable brick, which dates to the venue’s opening in 1926.
Little by little, bricks loosened, a few eventually falling out and tumbling to the ground. Some were snagged for souvenirs.
Georgia Paxos, executive director of Palace Theatre, and the co-chairs of the fundraising project said the moment is significant for the historic structure and also for the community at large.
The May 1 wall-breaking ceremony marked the start of phase two of the Palace 100 Project, which commemorates the building’s 100th anniversary.
The project budget was $16 million when it was announced in 2023, but rising construction costs have increased the total to $19 million, Paxos said.
During construction, the theater will be closed until mid-September and then remain open through the end of 2026 for fall and holiday programming, she said.
The work is expected to be finished by early 2028.
The scope includes adding more than 20 feet to the stage, loading docks for trucks, a second lobby, premium seating closer to the stage, new and additional restrooms and increased accessibility for those with disabilities.
Dressing rooms will be modernized, and a meet-and-greet area for entertainers and their fans will be added. Parking, in the rear of the building, will be added for buses and trucks on showdays. Seating will be added to the balcony.
Canton Palace Theatre 100-year-old brick
Paxos marveled at the strength of the 100-year-old brick. “It held up remarkably well,” she said.
Despite a steady drizzle of rain during the ceremony, the mood was upbeat and optimistic as the vintage theater looks to the future.
Paxos said the new stage and other improvements will bring in bigger acts and more of them. And although the back wall will come down, the original architecture of the Palace and its bygone charm will remain untouched, she said.
Matt Halter and Joe Halter of Jackson Township are co-chairs of the fundraising campaign. The father and son owns Solmet Group, also known as Solmet Technologies in Stark County.
“It’s phenomenal,” Matt Halter said. “It’s a great feeling to see not only the work of the Palace and staff but also the community. There’s been a tremendous amount of support, and we couldn’t do it without the community and the foundations.”
“We look forward to making lots of visits and watching the growth day by day and month by month,” he said of the expansion project. “This is a community asset.”
Donations still needed
Roughly $10 million has been raised for the entire project so far.
Besides fundraising and local contributions, local foundations and state funds also have made the project possible, Joe Halter noted. Federal funding is also being sought, as well as historic preservation tax credits.
Matt Halter encouraged the public to lend any support they can for the project.
For more information about the project and to donate, go to https://cantonpalace100.com/.
Palace Theatre is a ‘magical place.’
Joe Halter called the Palace a “magical place,” referring to the ornate woodwork, architectural character and Spanish influences.
Smiling in the rain, he recalled seeing a show at the Palace when he was 15 years old.
“My earliest memory is of me sitting in the back row of the balcony and slowly putting my arm around this young girl,” he said.
“It’s so important it stays and we prepare it for the next 100 years,” Halter said of the theater. “What this will enable is to allow this to grow and in bring in acts we’ve never had before.”
The project also benefits both Canton and Stark County’s economy by attracting visitors from inside and outside the area, he said.
Work is already underway inside the stage area.
March was spent by Palace Theatre staff clearing it for work crews. Scaffolding and a temporary flight of stairs now fill the roughly 60-foot tall space.
Fred Olivieri Construction Co. of Stark County is the general contractor.
Chris Lesho, technical director of the Palace, said that curtains, lighting and miles of electrical cable were removed.
Improvements will include motorizing the existing pulley rope system used for curtains, lights and stage productions. Larger, more modern stage shows will be accommodated, including video screens.
“We’re not hurting the aesthetics of the theater itself,” Lesho said. “We’re keeping it the way it was 100 years ago − that’s the way it should be and that’s the reason people come here. They get a different experience than anywhere else.”
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hammer time. Canton Palace Theatre starts stage expansion project
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
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