Soo Theatre Project To Receive Cool Cities Grant

From The Sault Evening News, 08/06/04

Soo Theatre Project to receive Cool Cities grant check today

LANSING -- Officials from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) joined state and local leaders Thursday to present a $100,000 grant to the Soo Theatre Project, Inc. as part of the state's Cool Cities pilot program, according to a state news release. At 2 p.m. today, the Soo Theatre project will formally receive its grant check in front of the theatre building on Ashmun St.

The Sault's redevelopment project is one of 20 recently chosen to receive funding. The program, designed to foster the development of vibrant, attractive cities and urban centers, is part of Governor Jennifer Granholm's overall economic development strategy for Michigan.

"Our state's greatest economic successes have often gone hand-in-hand with the creative and productive powers of our cities," Granholm said in the release. "Although government cannot create cool, these grants will bolster local efforts to create more inviting downtown centers that will attract investment and job creation."

The Soo Theatre Project proposes to restore and renovate the classic and historic Soo Theatre Complex to its original grandeur of the 1930s.

"The Soo Theatre Cool Cities project will promote economic growth and development in the downtown by providing increased retail growth and residential housing," said Downtown Development Director Lee Shirey. "The Soo Theatre Project will provide a home for the arts and cultural community in downtown and will be a catalyst for additional investment in the downtown."

Over 150 project applications from 112 Michigan cities were submitted for this pilot program.