Diamond and Schmidt was picked out of 20 proposals in the national selection process. The firm will soon draw plans for the art center that would be situated along the Grand River and would function as the flagship stage of Drayton Entertainment. The theater is expected to seat about 500-600 people at a time and would be a part of a city-owned parking lot at Grand Avenue and St. Andrew’s Street, beside Southworks Outlet Mall.
The project includes three key components – the construction of a state-of-the-art, year-round performing arts complex in Cambridge; the consolidation of Drayton Entertainment’s production and administration facilities in one multi-functional environment; and technical upgrades to several of Drayton Entertainment’s existing six Ontario venues.
Draytn will undertake the construction and design of this project. The new centralized office will house theatrical components and serve as a production hub including set construction, props, audio, carpentry, costumes, administration, call center, rehearsal space and housing for artistic personnel to support future growth.
The Drayton Theatre is part an $18-million cost-sharing plan between Cambridge, Queen’s Park and Ottawa. The theater would break ground by fall and the stage performances would begin by early 2012.
Drayton Entertainment, which is registered in Canada, is a not-for-profit charitable organization.
