Victory Theatre
Holyoke Development and Government Relations Committee on 6/6/2024
MIFA Victory Theatre Executive Artistic Director Don Sanders, Victory Theatre Project Manager Susan Palmer, Matt Jacobs Barr & Barr Construction Manager, Brad Foster Accountant, Fleur Kuhta Administrative Assistant present to the Committee in response to community questions about the Victory Theatre Project.
Development and Government Relations Committee contact page: https://www.holyoke.org/dgr-cc/
Item 5: 2-6-24 From David Weinberg, communication regarding Victory Theater
Item 6: 6-4-24 MiFA response to Mr. Weinberg's letter and addendums
The Victory Theatre Project
In 2009 MIFA acquired the Victory Theatre located at 81-89 Suffolk Street Holyoke, Massachusetts. The Victory, a 1,600 seat Broadway-style theater opened in 1920 and has been derelict since 1979. It will be returned by MIFA, to its role as a major live theatre for the City of Holyoke, its surrounding communities, and the Connecticut River Valley from Long Island Sound to the Canadian border.
The Victory is being restored through a financing package which includes private, individual, corporate, and foundation donations, public grants, and State and Federal Historic Tax Credits and New Market Tax Credits.
MIFA envisions the transformation of the Victory Theatre into a great cultural institution in the Northeast. The Victory Theatre restoration is anticipated to be a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Holyoke. The restored theater will be the anchor of Holyoke's Arts and Theater District in addition to creating and increasing commerce and tourism in the Greater Holyoke area. The restoration of the Victory will also provide crucial access to arts education for the community, regional schools K-12, and local colleges.
MIFA’s expertise and established position in the performing arts are critical to developing an arts identity and drawing prestigious theatre companies to Holyoke. The restoration of the Victory and its proposed programming will make Holyoke the focal point for the arts in the Pioneer Valley and leverage the arts as a force for economic development in Holyoke.
On December 31, 2020 the Victory Theatre turned 100! MIFA celebrated the beautiful historic theater with a special virtual event: Victory Theatre’s 100th Birthday Celebration. The virtual event featured the magical digital treat and specially MIFA commissioned centennial fanfare composed by Iván E. Rodríguez.
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