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Heritage building renos complete

The renovation projects at the Studio/Stage Door are complete, Cranbrook Community Theatre recently announced.

The renovation projects at the Studio/Stage Door are complete, Cranbrook Community Theatre recently announced.

Over the past year, the lobby of the historic Studio/Stage Door building was renovated and retrofitted. Funding totalling $35,800 from the Government of Canada's Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund helped see the project through. The cost for the entire project totalled over $100,000.

Cranbrook Community Theatre (CCT) serves as stewards of the heritage building.

"I'd like to thank Minister Michelle Rempel, MP David Wilks, and the Government of Canada for believing in this project," said Peter Schalk, Project Manager. "Thanks as well go out to general contractor Kevin Leiman of Leiman Homes, who went above and beyond to ensure the project met not only our needs but kept with the heritage aspects of the building."

The work included: new windows, insulation, doors, and flooring, but the biggest improvement was washroom upgrading. The upgrading doubled the size of both bathrooms and has made them wheelchair accessible. The addition of these bathrooms is the second phase of CCT's accessibility project, which started with the installation of stair glides in the fall of 2011.

While work was being done on the inside of the building, the City of Cranbrook replaced the roof on the building.

"Cranbrook Community Theatre is thankful to the City for taking care of the roof," said CCT President Lorraine Harvey. "We are very fortunate to have such a positive relationship with the Mayor, council, and city staff who appreciate the work it takes to keep this heritage building in good shape."

With additional funding from the Columbia Basin Trust Fund (CBT), the CCT has been able to add new gutters and downspouts to the new roof. The remainder of the monies from the CBT went into the third phase of the CCT's project, the main entrance and the upper lobby.

The main entrance has been retrofitted with energy efficient doors and windows. Also, new carpeting has been installed on the stairs and in the main lobby upstairs.

Originally built in 1909 as a Masonic Temple, the building was put up for sale in 1973. CCT lobbied the City of Cranbrook to purchase the building, which the Mayor and council at the time had the foresight to do. The City then turned the building over to the Cranbrook Community Theatre Society. This year marks the 40th anniversary of CCT's stewardship of the building.

A special grand re-opening ceremony will be held at the Studio/Stage Door, 11 – 11th Avenue South in downtown Cranbrook at 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 21.