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Reg Lenna Theater Lobby, Art Gallery To Receive First Look

The new sidewalks, bricks and new tree planters in front of the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Corner Cafe along East Third Street. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

This is definitely a week for first looks in Jamestown.

Along with the grand opening of the National Comedy Center, the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts will also be premiering its newly renovated theater lobby and first-floor art gallery.

Kathleen Eads, Reg executive director, said the first-floor renovations were finished on time with the new art gallery location along Third Street opening Tuesday with a new exhibit. Also, the new lobby could be viewed for the first time Tuesday, with the box office to purchase Reg Lenna tickets being opened from 2-5 p.m.

“It is incredible,” Eads said about the theater lobby. “It is everything I had hoped it would be. It has a historical feel to it so it is a much better reflection of the beauty of the theater itself.”

The 3rd on 3rd Gallery has moved from the third floor to where the studio gallery was located. The first exhibit at the newly renovated art gallery is titled Myjtownny.

The photographers represented in Myjtownny include: Allison Slagle, Carrie Tredo, Autumn Echo, Tara Eastman, Sarah Chapman, Hillary Meyer, Jessica Carr, Alison Barry, Jennifer Little, Zach Agett, Kathy Storms, Kristen Johnson, Megan Arnone, Barry Meyer, Christopher Riolo, Lisa Miller, Stefan Duga, Stephanie Zwyghuien, Steve Hayes, Sarah Cleary, Dan Swackhammer, Terrie Johnson, Sheila Webster and Peter Garami.

Eads said the show includes photos taken from local people with their smartphones.

“It is about what Jamestown means to them,” Eads said. “There are lovely images of our lovely city.”

Along with the renovations inside the Reg, city officials improved the Third Street streetscape with a reconstruction project that included installing new sidewalks, decorative brick, new planters and a heated sidewalk, which Reg Lenna officials purchased.

“I hate to say it, but I’m looking forward to the first snow. I want to see how it turned out,” Eads said about the heated sidewalk. “Once again, it is so amazing to see what replacing sidewalks will do. It turned out wonderful. Everything is spruced up.”

Eads said the rest of the renovations to the Reg Lenna complex is on schedule, which is expected to finish around the middle of October. The $4.75 million revitalization project included the theater lobby renovation, which opened up the space. Before the renovations, the concession stand was in the middle of the lobby and the area had two different floor levels. Now, there will be one level and the concession stand will no longer be in the middle of the lobby.

The Reg’s radio station 107.9 WRFA also is being expanded. There will be three new on-air studios constructed in a multimedia studio on the third floor. She said the new studio will have live stream capabilities.

The project will also include Americans With Disabilities Act improvements, infrastructure enhancements, safety upgrades, renovated offices and apartment space.

Five of the seven buildings that make up the Reg Lenna complex along Third Street are being renovated. The structures being renovated under the Reg Lenna umbrella include the Swanson building; the elevator building, which connects everything handicap wise and provides access to the stage; the administrative building; 116 E. Third St., which is the lobby of the theater; and 118 E. Third St., which is the box office building to the left of the lobby.

Funding for the project came from several sources. The Reg revitalization project was one of 10 projects that received funding through the $10 million state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. Reg officials were funded $1.5 million through the DRI program for the renovation project.

Reg officials have also secured local funding for the project from various foundations in the amount of $3.2 million including $1.5 million from the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation; $900,000 from the Gebbie Foundation; and $850,000 from the Lenna Foundation.

The general contractor and construction management team for the project is Lehigh Construction Group of Buffalo.

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