Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Garrison today to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of a new theater overlooking the Hudson River that will be home to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. While there, she announced that up to $80 million in capital funding is now available to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Capital Projects Fund. The new funding is on top of $32 million in capital grants already awarded by NYSCA this year.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s (HVSF) construction of a new permanent facility will be at Route 9 and Snake Hill Road in Garrison. It’s estimated that the new theater and site restoration will cost about $26.8 million.
The Philipstown Planning Board approved plans for the project, which will see a new amphitheater that has a roof and open sides. The theater will be the first purpose-built LEED Platinum certified theater in the country and has been designed by the architectural firm Studio Gang. It would cover more than 13,800-square-feet, seat 500, and allow part of Storm King Mountain, Breakneck Ridge and the Hudson River to be visible in the distance. The HVSF has been operating in a tent theater that has open sides. In 2019, a 98-acre property that formerly was a golf course was donated to the nonprofit by philanthropist Chris Davis.
Consigli, the construction company that will be building the new theater, told the Business Journal that it expects to begin site work on the project in November.
In addition to building the theater, the project calls for improvements to the land that would incorporate restoration of greenspace and creating spaces for local use such as community meetings and farmers markets.
“Arts and cultural organizations like Hudson Valley Shakespeare are central to communities across New York state, boosting local economies and driving our vibrant tourism industry,” Hochul said. “As we celebrate the groundbreaking for Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s expansion, we’re also making $80 million available to help even more organizations across the state have the opportunity to grow, thrive and inspire the next generation of New Yorkers.”
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare expansion, which is supported by a $13.25 million state investment, was one of the first projects to receive $10 million through NYSCA’s Large Capital grant opportunity, which was first announced in 2022.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s Artistic Director Davis McCallum said, “Receiving one of the Large Capital Grants in 2022 was critical to our breaking ground today. We are deeply grateful to NYSCA for their early support for a transformational project that brings together the arts, environmental sustainability, and economic development.”
