State money will aid Erie County's arts scene

SANDUSKY — The state's capital improvements budget announced Monday includes two appropriations that will help Erie County's arts and culture scene. The budget includes $125,000 for further renovations to the Sandusky State Theatre. It also includes $50,000 to help cover some of the costs of moving the Firelands Symphony Orchestra's offices and music school to a new home on the campus of BGSU Firelands.The $125,000 in the new bill for Sandusky State Theatre comes in addition to the $750,000 the theatre obtained in the 2016 state capital improvements budget. The earlier money was spent for a wide variety of upgrades to the vintage theater, including a new sound and lighting system, a new $40,000 curtain, restoration of plaster and paint to repair water damage, and other work.As part of the Sandusky State Theatre's upgrades funded by the state's last capital bill, back in 2016, work was done last year to upgrade the marquee. The new $125,000 will be used to upgrade the heating and cooling system, said Chris Parthemore, executive director of the theater."The current units are starting to cost a lot of money in maintenance," he said.Andy Gundlach, chairman of the theater's building committee, said the units are about 30 years old and outlived their useful life."The units are starting to fall apart," he said. "The newer technology will help with energy efficiency and those kinds of things."The Firelands Symphony Orchestra has been at its home at 334 East Washington St. for many years, but the building has been sold by the estate of Ruth Frost Parker.The orchestra is moving to a new home in Mylander Hall rooms 130-134, a former biology lab area, on the campus of BGSU Firelands. The orchestra hopes to be at its new location by May or June, and, in the meantime, is paying rent to the home's new owner, said Laurie Korobkin, executive director of the orchestra.The $50,000 will be used for demolition of the former biology lab and asbestos abatement, Korobkin said. The full cost of the move is about $300,000, so the orchestra is raising money to cover its other costs, she said."We're very excited about the move and being on the college campus," Korobkin said.Orchestra officials see the move as a way to expand community engagement and partner with the university, she said.The capital budget's offerings for Erie County also include $800,000 for the new hospitality college degree that will be offered in downtown Sandusky by Cedar Fair and by BGSU Firelands; $250,000 to improve nursing curriculum at BGSU Firelands and Firelands Regional Medical Center's nursing school, and $75,000 for the Jackson Street pier project. All of the local projects were requested jointly by state Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, and state Rep. Steve Arndt, R-Port Clinton.The Erie County projects are part of a $2.62 billion capital bill announced Monday by leaders of the Ohio General Assembly.Gardner said Thursday he expects the capital bill to pass by the end of the month, and said he's confident all of the Erie County projects will still be in it when Gov. John Kasich signs it.The bill isn't released until lawmakers meet with the governor's office to go over the projects and make sure they can be funded under state law, Gardner said. "You don't see a lot of amendments because those things have to be worked out in advance," Gardner said. Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.Stage hand Mike LaFountain closes the new curtain at the Sandusky State Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018.The Sandusky State Theatre's new curtain features burgundy fabric with gold tassels on the bottom.