City approves $100,000 donation for Dixon Historic Theatre

DIXON – The Dixon City Council on Tuesday approved a $100,000 donation to the Dixon Historic Theatre for events and the children’s theater program.

In March, the council made a consensus to donate $75,000 to the theater with the goal of forming a partnership with the school district to provide $25,000 for the children’s theater.

That didn’t work out for this year, and the council approved funding the full $100,000 with council member Chris Bishop against.

Bishop said he was sticking to the $75,000 figure they agreed to during budget season and hopes the donation request next year won’t be as large as the theater finds its footing.

The city has given the theater about $300,000 for events in the last couple of years, and the expense will be $200,000 this year with the donation as well as $100,000 toward the theater’s $1.5 million project to make structural repairs.

The goal for the last several years has been to make the theater a cultural anchor for the region and tourist attraction for the city, bringing in additional sales tax revenue and customers for restaurants and other businesses.

In August, the century-old theater won a $1.2 million federal Economic Development Administration grant for structural improvements to the facility. The grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

[ Dixon Historic Theatre wins $1.2 million grant for building improvements ]

Funds will go toward a new roof, tuckpointing with the exterior, windows, lighting and other improvements.

The grant requires $300,000 in matching funds, and both the City Council and Lee County Board previously agreed to give the theater $100,000. The remaining $100,000 comes from the theater’s community fundraising campaign.

Improvements also will include addressing water leaks in different areas, drainage on the side of the building with Peace Park, making restrooms more accessible, replacing the front doors and storefront windows, painting the auditorium and lobby, and adding seating with the goal to increase capacity to about 1,000 people. The current capacity is 915.

In April, the theater also won a $100,000 state grant to go toward production and technical expenses through the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant Program.