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09/17/07 American Stage Breaks Ground Thanks to Support
from SPC and Corporate Partnerships
On September 10, 2007, a groundbreaking ceremony
on the newly cleared lot located at the corner of 2nd Avenue
North and 3rd Street North, across from Williams Park, was
held to celebrate the American Stage Theatre Company’s new home that is expected
to open January 2009.
Don Shea, President of the St. Petersburg
Downtown Partnership, presented American Stage with a donation for $500,000
from Raymond James Financial. In honor of this generous contribution, the
new theatre center will be renamed “American Stage Theatre Company at the Raymond James Theatre.”
The theatre project, an adjacent wing to
SPC’s downtown campus, is a historical event as this is the first theatre
built in the Bay Area since the early 1970’s. Its development was made
possible through the formation of a unique partnership. Thomas James,
President of Raymond James Financial, characterized it as a business
triangle that fuses the arts with education and the business community.
SPC downtown campus is also home to the
Palladium Theatre as well as the Florida Orchestra. New office facilities
for the Florida Orchestra to be located on the fourth floor of the campus are
40% complete and expected to open by early 2008. Each of these achievements
that create a cultural hub in the middle of downtown can be attributed to
the inspirational and entrepreneurial spirit of Dr. Carl Kutler, President
of SPC who worked closely with Mayor Rick Baker to bring this project to
fruition.
American Stage first opened in St. Petersburg in 1977 and has become an arts icon over its thirty years in our community.
The development of its new facility reinforces the cultural renaissance of
downtown St. Petersburg and will create what has been referred to as the
first cultural Epicenter in the State of Florida. “American Stage is a
special gem of the St. Petersburg community and has many supporters to remain
an essential component of downtown’s cultural arts scene well into the
future,” expressed acting Chairman James Bennett.
To learn more about American Stage Theatre offerings
(which
will reside at its current location until its new construction is completed) or to get involved with
new developments of the theatre contact Todd Olson at 727-823-1600 or visit
them online.
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