A $462,500 state grant will help the city of Burlington’s project to renovate and expand the Paramount Theater and Event Center.
The grant was one of 31 that the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority approved, totaling nearly $11 milliion, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Friday. The RIA is supported by the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Grants support a variety of activities, including infrastructure development, building renovation, expansion and demolition, and site improvements.
Burlington’s plans include the creation of an upstage crossover, stage right wing, and an additional dressing room as well as upfits to the electrical, fire alarm and utility systems. Additionally, the project will include the 12,390-square-foot expansion to a building adjacent to the historic theater, ultimately leveraging $1,074,873 in investments.
The expansion will include two floors, plus a rooftop deck and bar, allowing for multiple performances and providing rental spaces for the community. Each space will be built so that they can operate independently.
When the work is complete, there will be additional programming, increasing the number of nights that the Paramount is open.
Eric Kerchner, the Paramount’s director, has said he wants to bring in a regional or national act to open the theater once the renovations are complete.
