GOVERNOR BAKER SIGNS BOND BILL AUTHORIZING $11 MILLION
FOR THE VICTORY THEATRE PROJECT
Governor Baker has signed into law the 2018 Economic Development Bond bill providing $11 million to advance the renovation of the Victory Theatre in Holyoke. Combined with an earlier 2018 facilities bond bill, the State has now authorized $13 million in bond funds in support of the Victory Theatre project.
“This is sensational news. The Commonwealth’s support is a pivotal piece in the theater’s opening. Our Sleeping Beauty, the Victory Theatre, is stirring and beginning to think about what she’ll wear for Opening Night. So should we!” says Don Sanders, Executive Artistic Director of the Massachusetts International Festival for the Arts and Victory Theatre (MIFA).
“Our deepest thanks to the Governor, the Legislature, Holyoke’s mayor and legislative delegation and to neighboring mayors and delegations. This would not have been possible without the support we have received from across the Pioneer Valley,” Sanders said
Championing the Victory Theatre allocation have been Holyoke legislators Senator Don Humason and Representative Aaron Vega.
“Since I first toured the Victory Theatre after becoming Holyoke’s State Senator, I was convinced this gem should be saved, restored, and polished bright,” Humason said. “I’m glad Representative Vega and I were able to secure the funding in the Economic Development Bond bill. The impact on our economy once the Victory opens will be profound.”
“Revitalizing and redeveloping downtown Holyoke are about job creation, workforce training, enhancing the quality of life and opportunity across the region. The MIFA Victory Theatre rehab project encompasses all of those key elements and will be a catalyst for future investments in downtown Holyoke,” said Representative Vega.
Senator Humason noted the regional implications of the Victory’s reopening. “The revitalization of the Victory Theatre is a tremendous opportunity for the entire Pioneer Valley,” he said. “This project will not only create jobs and bring new spending to the region but will help provide a new epicenter of cultural enrichment for those living and working in Holyoke and throughout the Commonwealth alike,” Humanson said.
MIFA is restoring the Victory, a 1,600-seat Broadway-style theatre opened in 1920. The iconic theater will be returned to its role as a major live theatre for the City of Holyoke, its surrounding communities and the entire Connecticut River Valley. The Victory is being restored through a financing package which includes private, individual, corporate, and foundation donations, public grants, and State and Federal Historic Tax Credits and New Market Tax Credits.
MIFA is restoring the Victory, a 1,600-seat Broadway-style theatre opened in 1920. The iconic theater will be returned to its role as a major live theatre for the City of Holyoke, its surrounding communities and the entire Connecticut River Valley. The Victory is being restored through a financing package which includes private, individual, corporate, and foundation donations, public grants, and State and Federal Historic Tax Credits and New Market Tax Credits.
For more information or to learn how you can support the Victory Theatre Project,
