Press Release

TIBBITS RECEIVES $500,000 NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAYS GRANT

12/01/2008:

COLDWATER, M I — Tibbits Opera House, the City of Coldwater, and the US-12 Heritage Trail received a huge boost with the announcement of a $500,000 Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Program grant.  These funds will be used to restore the façade of the Tibbits Opera House to its original beauty and grandeur dating back to the time the theatre was built in 1882. The grant will be administered through the Michigan Department of Transportation to the City of Coldwater on behalf of Tibbits.

Christine Delaney, Tibbits’ Executive Director, commented “We are thankful to Christine Hilton, City Planner for the City of Coldwater, and to MDOT for all their support and assistance in preparing and submitting the proposal.  This award is a coup for Tibbits, Coldwater, the Heritage Trail, and the State of Michigan!”

According to Christine Hilton, Coldwater’s City Planner, “We are extremely pleased by this grant award especially being as nationally competitive as it is.  When the façade restoration is complete, it will further enhance the historic qualities of downtown Coldwater.  Restoration of the façade will increase interest in Tibbits as a historically-significant building and expand awareness of its programming for children and adults.  Additionally it is anticipated to have positive impacts on tourism and related benefits to the local and regional economy.”

Tibbits Opera House is located at 14 S. Hanchett Street in Coldwater, Michigan; however, the impact of this project goes further than downtown Coldwater as it will provide restoration of a significant historic resource along the US-12 Heritage Route.  All 212 miles of US-12 located in Michigan, from Detroit to New Buffalo, was designated a heritage route in 2004 due to the intrinsic historical and cultural qualities located along its borders.

Tibbits’ original ornamentation was removed and covered with an Art Deco façade in the 1930s when it was turned into a movie house.  During the 1960s that façade was removed and a temporary façade was put up.  Tibbits is in Phase III of its restoration project, which is the total restoration of the façade to its original 1882 French Second Empire design.  Within this phase the theatre has already restored the brick on the north, south, and west wall, and they will soon be restoring the cupola.

Previous phases of restoration included design development, demolition of an adjacent building, removal of hazardous materials inside the theatre, repair of the boilers, improvement of emergency exits, and installation of an elevator, a barrier free entrance, and a barrier free restroom.

The National Scenic Byways Program is a highly competitive, merit based program designed to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States.  Grants are made to implement projects on highways designated as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads, or as State or Indian tribe scenic byways for projects that will benefit the byway traveler’s experience, shape the byway’s story, interpret the story for visitors, or improve visitor facilities along the byway.  A complete list of awards can be found at http://www.bywaysonline.org/news/2008/1309.

Receipt of this grant puts an increased emphasis on raising the remaining $450,000 needed to complete restoration of the façade.  To get involved with the effort or to make a donation please call Barbara Miller, Tibbits’ Development/Special Events Coordinator, at 517-278-6029.  For more information visit www.tibbits.org.