Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford is wrapping up 18 months of major renovations.
According to the president and CEO of the theater Rosemary Gill, the 37-million-dollar project overhauled the entire interior.
“This building is the size of a city block and has three floors and every single part of the building inside is changing,” said Penny Pimentel with the theater, as she led a WBZ Radio reporter on a tour.
Some of the changes to the 102-year-old theater are simple customer quality improvements, like including cupholders in the seats and adding an elevator. Other changes are a bit more outside the box, such as a brand-new dance and performance studio on one of the floors, as well as a new speakeasy in the basement harkening back to the theater’s roots in the Roaring 20's.
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Gill explained that many of these changes were made with community input. She said the theater is part of the revitalization effort going on in downtown New Bedford, which hopes to revive the once-wealthiest per-capita city in America.
“We really see this as an opportunity to usher in the next 100 years,” she said.
The renovations are set to be complete by January 2026, with a grand opening set for January 17.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.