HOLYOKE – Efforts to renovate and reopen Holyoke’s Victory Theatre gained a key bonus from Mayor Joshua Garcia and the city of Holyoke as the mayor announced an additional $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will go toward the project.

The significant commitment from the city’s ARPA funds helps move the project closer to a real end date in reopening the Broadway-style theater that will look to be a foundational place for arts not just in Holyoke but for the region.

In announcing the city’s commitment at the Dec. 22 press conference, Garcia said the project is in the “ninth inning” due to the unprecedented availability of federal recovery funds.

“Job creation, cultural enrichment, community engagement, education center, downtown revitalization and crown jewel. These are all the characterizations and predictions swirling around the community campaign to restore the Victory Theatre in downtown Holyoke,” Garcia said. “It’s why I say the return of the Victory will be and I quote, indeed epic.”

The project will total $61 million as the theater is reopened and Garcia expressed urgency on completing the project sooner rather than later.

“The time to wrap this thing up is now, because there’s not going to be a better time. Or another time. The campaign is at a critical stage. For the first time in a long time, we can see the finish line. But we have to cross it,” Garcia said.

The Victory Theatre is a 1,600-seat Broadway-style theater in downtown Holyoke that opened in 1920 and closed in 1979 as the fortunes of the formerly industrial city declined. Since acquiring the derelict building from the city in 2009, the nonprofit Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA) has been leading the effort to preserve, expand and transform the historic theater as the economic state of Holyoke continues to improve.

MIFA has led these efforts to preserve and expand the historic space and have additional plans to not only bring back the theater but make it a staple of the arts community center that can help with supporting existing businesses and attracting new ones, as well as creating new jobs and increasing tourism to the area.

“MIFA is grateful to Mayor Garcia for having the vision to see how the Victory Theatre can be a transformative part of Holyoke’s recovery from the [coronavirus] pandemic and vision for a bright future,” said MIFA Executive Artistic Director Donald Sanders. “Retrofitted with 21st century technology and put back into service as a state-of-the-art regional performing arts center, the magnificent theater will be an engine for urban revitalization, economic development and civic pride and health.”

The nonprofit estimates the reopened theater will draw more than 600,000 visitors and will generate more than $6 million a year in direct and audience spending. They also believe this will lead to non-monetary benefits including educational enrichment and enhances community engagement.

The theater would be the only venue in Western Massachusetts capable of hosting large-scale Broadway shows and other theater productions according to Sanders. He also noted that with advancements in acoustic and other sound technologies, it is possible to bring large scale shows to the Victory.

“The economic impact will ripple throughout the Pioneer Valley region,” Sanders noted.

The project has been awarded millions in state and federal tax credits. State Rep. Patricia Duffy and state Sen. John Velis had worked together to secure $1.05 million in ARPA funding, and a capital campaign with a goal of $10 million is on target according to MIFA.

According to MIFA’s release on the announcement, they and Garcia are collaborating on enhanced community involvement in raising awareness and enthusiasm engaging regional expertise and encouraging the state to close the funding gap to begin construction.

Other efforts to help move the project ahead included the hiring of theater expert Susan Palmer, CEO of Palmer Westport Group, to lead a feasibility planning study and guide the ongoing capital campaign and to act as project manager. Palmer noted during the press conference that she has had experience all over the nation in renovating and reopening historic theaters.

The mayor has also assembled three “strike teams” to lead community fundraising efforts as well as to launch entrepreneurial efforts to support entrepreneurs, businesses and building owners who will benefit from the opportunities in the vicinity of the theater when it opens. The third team will oversee preconstruction and construction phases of the restoration of the Victory building and the addition of an annex.

“This is about Holyoke very much so but it’s also about this region and so I want to assure you the Western Mass. delegation, especially here in the Pioneer Valley, are educated about this, invested in this, interested in this,” Duffy said at the press conference. “This is about the whole region, about sparking arts and theater throughout the Pioneer Valley.”

Velis also spoke briefly and said he was excited to be a part of efforts in this project and noted he appreciates the beauty of the space after being able to tour inside.

“One of the things that I think is probably the most important word in government today is collaboration,” Velis said. “I agree with the mayor, we’re starting to see that light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a local solution, state solution and federal solution.”

When asked about an expected timeline for the project Sanders said the actual hard construction for the project will take between 18 and 24 months. He added he hopes that a shovel is in the ground by June 2023 and doors opening softly or widely in some way by December 2024.

“I believe that we must work on that, that requires a lot of hard work on our figuring how to get the financing in place, raise the additional funds, but I believe that is what the region and Holyoke - and I’ll be selfish, I and Josh - deserve,” Sanders said with a laugh. “Now, having said that, I know that Susan will say the timing is dependent on the raising of the money.”