Efforts to revive the old Hiland Theater received another boost Thursday with the announcement of a $1 million gift from the Sydney & Andrew Davis Foundation.
The donation will go toward the National Dance Institute’s renovation of the historic building. The institute has now raised about $10.5 million toward its $13 million goal.
The first phase of construction is already complete, and 350 to 400 children now use five dance studios at the site after school and on Saturdays. The initial work included office space, locker rooms and restrooms.
The second phase – work is under way now – includes renovating the main theater space.
Andrew Davis, who works in real estate, was on hand to explain the gift. It’s moving, he said, to watch children from different backgrounds perform together through NDI programs.
The project “is a powerful thing to be a part of,” he said.
The National Dance Institute, a nonprofit group, says its work helps students learn about nutrition, fitness and good school habits.
Public investment has helped revive the theater. Bernalillo County used state funds to buy the theater for about $1 million in 2005, and it had spent at least $2.4 million on renovations through last year.
The county leases the theater to the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, and NDI has been raising its own money for renovations, too.
County Commission Chairwoman Maggie Hart Stebbins said the community is “excited to see this place come alive again. … You’ve transformed a Route 66 landmark.”
Jon Barela, New Mexico’s Cabinet secretary-designee for economic development, said the Hiland project can anchor redevelopment in the area.
“This whole stretch of Central Avenue has so much potential,” he said.
The Hiland, which is near Central and Monroe SE, is more than 60 years old. It closed in 2005.
— This article appeared on page C1 of the Albuquerque Journal
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