Dixon Historic Theatre seeking another $100,000 from city

DIXON – The Dixon Historic Theatre is hoping the city will continue supporting the group with a $100,000 donation to go toward event programming.

The Dixon City Council recently started its annual budget meetings for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins May 1, and organizations are pursuing their annual donations from the council.

Jessica Dempsey, chairperson of the theater board, approached the council last week asking for $100,000 to go toward events as the theater continues to work to be more sustainable and is undergoing structural improvements.

In August, the century-old theater won a $1.2 million federal Economic Development Administration grant for structural improvements to the facility. The grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Funds will go toward a new roof, tuckpointing with the exterior, windows, lighting and other improvements.

The grant requires $300,000 in matching funds, and both the City Council and Lee County Board previously agreed to give the theater $100,000. The remaining $100,000 comes from the theater’s community fundraising campaign.

[ Dixon council approves $100,000 for theater renovations ]

Architects are wrapping up work for the upgrades, and they should have a better idea of how the construction will affect theater events soon, theater manager Scott Fattizzi said.

The historic theater at 114 S. Galena Ave. had a grand reopening in September 2021, following years of efforts to streamline and improve operations as a community icon and tourism magnet. The Historic Dixon Theatre Group nonprofit was created to manage the theater in 2019, rebranding the Historic Dixon Theatre as The Dixon: Historic Theatre, but new programming was delayed because of COVID-19.

In 2021, the city gave the theater $200,000 for booking high-caliber acts. Last year, the city budgeted another $100,000 for programming in addition to the $100,000 for the EDA grant work.