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Officials with the town of Danville took to the Town Green downtown last week to mark a groundbreaking ceremony for a multimillion-dollar renovation to the centrally located gathering space that is aimed at bolstering support for arts and entertainment.
Construction on the $3.3 million pavilion and Art District Makers Space got underway Aug. 12 following years of anticipation and planning by the town during preparations for its current capital improvement program.
“Today marks an exciting milestone for Downtown Danville,” said Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich at this week’s event.
“These are two distinct projects, but they share a common purpose: creating welcoming spaces where people can come together,” he continued. “Whether it’s enjoying a concert on the Town Green or discovering something new in an art class, these spaces will give our community even more ways to connect and experience Downtown.”
The new pavilion is aimed at enhancing the already popular Town Green as a gathering and performance space, featuring an elevated stage, permanent roof, and full lighting in order to provide “a more functional and welcoming venue”, according to a press release from the town.
The adjacent makers space at 282 Front St. is set to serve as a hub for art workshops, classes, and other community programming in a 2,100-square-foot studio and a 735-square-foot patio, along with three classrooms.
The town had initially eyed that site for low to moderate income housing when it was acquired with funds intended for that use by its now defunct community development agency – which dissolved in 2011 due to changes in state law, leaving the property in the hands of the town itself. But failed attempts to acquire additional properties on Front Street in the years that ensued made that unfeasible according to town officials, who decided in 2023 to move forward with the makers space.
The two projects are part of the town’s larger vision going back nearly a decade, identified as high priorities in the 2017 Parks, Recreation and Arts Strategic Plan Update and solidified in the 2019 Town Green and Arts District Master Plan.
“Together, the Pavilion and Makers Space will expand opportunities for arts, recreation and community programming, strengthen the Town Green and Arts District as a community hub, and encourage residents and visitors to spend time Downtown,” town officials said in last week’s press release.
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