Bangor OKs renovations to Bangor Opera House $285,000 grant will go toward accessibility projects

When the Bangor Opera House opens its doors next fall for a new season, it will literally be opening new doors. On Tuesday, Penobscot Theatre Company, which is housed in the Main Street property, announced that the city of Bangor approved a $285,000 request for restoration and ADA compliance projects for the 1920 building.

The grant is funded by the Community Development Block Grant program, run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. Technically, the grant is a loan, which is forgiven as long as the theater remains a live performance space for its community.

In addition to new automated doors, the grant money will help fund accessibility improvements and updates, the completion of a sprinkler system, and repairs to the masonry of the facade.

According the Scott R.C. Levy, producing artistic director of the theater, the grant provides more than 50 percent of the money needed to complete the first phase of a larger project, which includes replacing the building’s existing windows and marquee. He did not estimate the cost of the second phase of the project, entailing a major renovation of the opera house interior.

“This grant shows the city’s dedication to a historic, cultural facility in Bangor,” said Levy. “It shows that they appreciate and understand the work Penobscot Theatre does for the community.”

Construction should begin within a few weeks, said Levy, and end with the opening show “Driving Miss Daisy” in mid-September.