Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton announced Thursday night that the city will invest about $515,000 in renovations to make the John Waldron Arts Center usable. The mayor and city council plan to open the Waldron on January 3, 2022.
Hamilton also said he will ask the council to invest in long-term maintenance of the Buskirk Chumley Theater.
“It’s definitely a big step forward ,” Danielle McClelland, member of the steering committee for Arts Forward Bloomington, said, “but our job is not done, and we want to make sure that these facilities are up and running and available for the full recovery of the arts sector.”
Arts Forward Bloomington will host a Save Our Arts Venues Rally Saturday at noon. The rally’s original main purpose was to urge the mayor to invest in the maintenance of Waldron and the BCT, but now AFB wants the rally to show appreciation, said McClelland.
AFB will also urge the public to encourage the mayor and city council to give the BCT necessary maintenance and equipment upgrades and to ensure the Waldron is properly maintained, McClelland said.
