Goodwill Theatre gets nearly $5 million grant to expand operation

JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – The Goodwill Theatre in Johnson City is receiving a major boost to its plan to build a three-story addition and increase its performing arts capacity five-fold.
The New York State Council on the Arts has awarded Goodwill Theatre with nearly $5 million toward restoring the 1899 firehouse that sits adjacent to the historic theater building. Much of the money will go toward the addition which will create lobbies with bathrooms for all three floors of the brick structure as well as provide an elevator and additional stairwell.
The addition will allow for public access to the 2nd and 3rd floors, as well as a new entrance for the Firehouse Stage on the 1st floor. Plans are to open a new 300-seat theater on the 3rd floor called the Rooftop Playhouse. The second floor will house the Goodwill Theater's offices and a multi-purpose room for rehearsals, trainings and educational programs.
Good will CEO Naima Kradjian says the goal of the grant is to make the arts more accessible.
'In our community, there are a lot of people who come to the Firehouse because it's affordable and because they can't go out of town to go see things. They can't pay that higher price. So, that is what we do, so we want to do more of that,' Kradjian said.
Kradjian says the new first-floor entrance will allow the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage to expand to 200 seats, resulting in a 400 percent increase in capacity overall between the two venues. The bar and lounge area will also be expanded.
The Goodwill is planning to launch a capital campaign to come up with the necessary matching funds. It has 3 years to use the state grant and Kradjian says it will be at least a year before any work is under contract.
The Roberson Museum and Tri-Cities Opera also received NYSCA capital improvement grants.
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