Park Theatre To Start Construction Next Month

The Park Theatre has given the go-ahead to Hutter Construction Corporation to start construction on the new performing arts center in Jaffrey. Following the final project approvals on November 29th, The Park Theatre and Hutter Construction signed contracts to begin the $3 million theatre construction. The project is funded by individual and foundation donations, New Hampshire tax credits and a loan from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office.

Lars Traffie, CEO and President of Hutter Construction Corporation, commented, "As part of the Greater Jaffrey Community, we are glad to be a part of this exciting new revitalization project. Everyone involved has worked long and hard to see this day come. All of us are especially anxious to see the Park Theatre become a centerpiece for a thriving downtown and a growing local economy. We have a target of mid-January for excavation to commence for the foundation."

Re-opened, The Park Theatre will be a new performing arts center presenting live performances, such as plays and concerts by national and regional artists, touring companies, amateur artists and schools, and classic and commercially successful films in a two-auditorium, 485-seat, state-of-the-art, perfectly acoustic facility built according to LEED gold level standards and fully accessible to everyone. The Theatre will serve the entire Monadnock Region of 100,000 year-round residents, 75,000 seasonal visitors, the region's artistic performing organizations. It will provide performance sites and enrichment programs for the region's school districts and Franklin Pierce University, along with space for community meetings, business events, Town Meetings, private gatherings, social activities, and community-wide events.

"This project began as an idea in 2001," noted Caroline Hollister, President, Board of Trustees, The Park Theatre. "It has become a reality because of the tremendous support of The Town of Jaffrey, individuals, institutions, and businesses throughout the state of New Hampshire, New England and the nation. Those of us who have been working on this project are profoundly grateful to everyone who has achieved this moment."