NEWBERRY, S.C. — Newberry will start construction this week on a new downtown performance space. Officials will turn the first dirt on the Downtown Newberry Amphitheater and Pavilion Thursday, Nov. 12, with the ceremony starting at 11 a.m. at 1327 Caldwell St.
The $4.8 million project turns a lot of just over three acres, one block off Main Street, into an outdoor amphitheater with a stage, a pavilion with green space and a community center of about 8,400 square feet with kitchen and bar areas. A flex space with a ticket booth and green room will support events. M.B. Kahn Construction is the general contractor and expects to finish in July 2027.
The Opera House is teaming up with the city and the county on the venue, which will host concerts, festivals and civic gatherings along with performing arts programming from the Opera House. Most of the money comes from the county’s penny sales tax, approved by voters in 2022.
Opera House Executive Director Anne Pinckney Smith said the project opens up new ways for residents to enjoy the arts and come together. Mayor Foster Senn described it as a gathering place that strengthens downtown and draws visitors and business. County Administrator Ted Luckadoo said voters picked projects like this through the penny tax.
The public and media are invited to the ceremony. Separately, the Opera House is raising $5 million toward a proposed black-box theater, called Forte Stages, in the long-empty Market Building on Harrington Street.
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