Fayetteville Community Center and Theater Project Gets New Foundation

A steady stream of cement trucks rolled onto Fayetteville’s Square beginning at 5 a.m. last Saturday, August 24.

By 9 a.m. nearly 30 trucks had supplied the 300 yards of concrete needed to create the new foundation for Phase I of the Fayetteville Community Center & Performance Theater.

The Square was a beehive of activity as workers hustled to keep up with the flow of cement from the large pumper truck. Local citizens came by to view the action, including two-year-old Hoyt Bell with his grandmother Trisha Brune who said, “He got up early. He really wanted to see this.”

The long process to begin building the new cultural center on Fayetteville’s Square began with the formation of a non-profit group in 2019. Five years later, after much hard work by a large group of volunteers, the rebuilding of an iconic structure is underway.

After months of archi-tectural plans, engineering studies, site preparation, and yards of fill dirt, the foundation needed is now in place. Gaeke Construction, the general contractor on the project, will oversee framing the building beginning this week. Fred Roberts, the Fayetteville Community Center Group’s treasurer, stated, “We’re excited that visible progress will now be more evident as the building rises.”

The Fayetteville Community Center & Performance Theater is being created in two phases. The first phase is the rebuilding of the historic Knesek Building, originally a two-building structure on the site. Phase II will house the 150-seat theater featuring classic theater seating, a multiuse stage, movie screen, dressing rooms, offices, a catering kitchen and an elevator.

The original building, deemed unsavable by engineers, was dismantled and selective wood was saved to incorporate in the rebuilding. Phase I is totally funded, and fundraising is now underway for Phase II, the Performance Theater that will host live music and dramatic performances.

Once completed, the Theater combined with the large rooms of the Community Center will be a venue for a wide range of uses including senior activities, family functions, educational programs, civic meetings, business meetings, banquets, and retreats.

“We are excited that the project is advancing and will continue to show steady progress,” stated Jerry Herring, president of FCCG. “The project has received over 750 individual gifts and grants so far. With this kind of wide-ranging community support the center is becoming a reality.”