Over $500,000 in provincial grant funding will be used to help support the STAR Theatre which is part of the STAR on 54th project in Taber.
The Society for Taber Arts & Recreation received $535,279 in funding through the Community Facility Enhancement Program Large Grant. The money will be put towards updating the HVAC system in the facility to bring it up to code.
The STAR Theatre is part of a new community facility the community organization is working towards opening in the former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across from W.R. Myers High School.
The project is planned to include a fitness centre, theatre stage, cinema, and community centre along with an events space. The project to convert the old church into a community facility is being done in phases with the first phase planned to be completed in early 2024, including the fitness facility.
According to the MD of Taber, the facility will be a step towards fostering the arts in the region and creating a community “legacy,” while also becoming a “central hub for the performing arts in our region.”