The Wilmington City Council will consider on Tuesday approving renovations at Thalian Hall and appropriating nearly $3 million for several proposed improvements.
The projects coincide with a $25 million renovation that began in April at the historic performing arts center. The renovation would nearly double Thalian Hall’s footprint as it expands into a 17,000-square-foot wing previously occupied by the city of Wilmington.
The project is set to include a new 300-seat theater, a recording studio, an incubator for theater productions, music and dance, the Wilde Cat Club – a new coffee shop, martini bar and music venue – as well as upgrades to Thalian’s historic main stage and other existing spaces.
On Tuesday, the Wilmington City Council will consider a resolution approving the proposed renovations at Thalian Hall, a city-owned building, and authorizing City Manager Becky Hawke to enter into an agreement with Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts Inc. for the city’s portion of the project.
The city's upgrades are separate from the improvements funded by the Thalian Hall's $25 million capital campaign, which to date has raised $11 million, said Shane Fernando, CEO of Thalian Hall.
According to agenda documents, the city would fund a fire suppression system in the building and an elevator replacement, along with the restoration of the Princess Street portico and improvements to the Third Street portico.
“While Thalian Hall is under renovation, there are several building improvements that the city needs to invest in and update …” the documents state. “These capital items are in line with the city’s obligation to maintain Thalian Hall, and incorporating these projects within the overall renovation project will create overall savings and efficiencies.”
Fernando said it makes sense for the city to move ahead with the projects at the same time as the renovation – it will help reduce closures inside Thalian Hall and some of the walls will already be opened up for other work.
"I'm just grateful for the city's foresight in terms of getting these very important infrastructure projects done while this other work is happening," Fernando said.
The city’s portion of the project is not expected to exceed $3.5 million, according to agenda documents, and the council will consider an ordinance Tuesday appropriating $2.95 million toward the project. The $2.95 million is expected to come from uncommitted capital interest earnings and installment financing, agenda documents state, and is in addition to already appropriated funding from the Public Facilities Project Fund.
The fire suppression and Princess Street portico restoration are expected to be the biggest ticket items. The fire suppression is expected to cost $1.9 million while the Princess Street portico restoration is expected to cost $700,000. The elevator replacement and Third Street portico improvements are expected to cost $450,000 each, according to agenda documents.
Thalian Hall was completed in 1858 and served as a municipal and cultural center for Wilmington, housing the community’s government, library and a theater that seated 1,000 people. The city of Wilmington occupied a portion of the building until it moved its offices and meetings to Skyline Center, following the city’s $68 million purchase of the former Thermo Fisher Scientific building in 2023.
