FAIRFIELD — A nearly century old landmark will get a new lease on life as Sacred Heart University has announced plans to renovate a local theater.
Sacred Heart University will reopen the long-shuttered Community Theater in downtown Fairfield as the new Sacred Heart University Community Theater.
Officials said Sacred Heart has signed a 10-year lease to create an arts and education site downtown. The theater will be open to student performances and community groups.
The former movie theater, which opened in 1920 and closed in 2011 will be fully renovated and is expected to be completed in 2020, just in time for the theater’s 100th anniversary.
“I am thrilled that the Community Theater, which has long been an iconic landmark in our town filled with special memories for so many of us, will finally be reopened,” said Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau said in a statement.
“This project is another example of how a University gives back to the community where it resides,” said SHU President John J. Petillo. “We plan to turn this into a contemporary venue for the University and the community while maintaining much of the classical features that have been part of downtown Fairfield for 100 years. That we can breathe new life into this building after years of dormancy is truly exciting.”
