Years after the Roxy Theatre on 124 Street was destroyed in a fire, The Alberta government announced a funding boost to help rebuild the theatre.
Deputy premier Sarah Hoffman made the announcement Monday morning, on behalf of Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s culture and tourism minister.
Hoffman said the province was putting $2.5 million towards the reconstruction of the Roxy Theatre.
The theatre was destroyed by fire in early January, 2015.
The loss of the theatre left the Theatre Network scrambling, as the blaze destroyed the organization’s main venue during their 40th anniversary season.
“We can’t rewrite history but together we can help script a better future,” Hoffman said during the announcement.
Hoffman said the rebuild will take place on the site of the original theatre, and the new space will feature three performance areas, which will address a lack of venues in Edmonton.
Rebuilding the Roxy Theatre is expected to cost $12.5 million, and the province said it’s expected to create 51 jobs during construction, and generate almost $2 million per year for the local economy.
The provincial funding is coming from the Other Initiatives Program, out of Culture and Tourism’s 2017-18 budget. The project already has backing from the federal government and City of Edmonton.
Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2019, with a plan to open in time for the 2020 theatre season.
