Venice Theatre receives $1M gift as it works to rebuild after Ian

VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) — The Venice Theatre was hit hard by Hurricane Ian. As we inch closer to another hurricane season, the recovery process continues. Other parts of the campus have been retrofitted to keep classes, rehearsals, and performances going as construction gets underway.

Crews are set to start pouring foundation on the site next week. After that, the building that housed the main stage should start going vertical.

“We say we are like the phoenix rising from the ashes, but literally, we cannot wait to see this building rise,” said Executive Director Kristofer Geddie.

Donations have been coming in from the community to support the recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian, however, rising construction and equipment costs have impacted the estimated cost to get the Jervey Theatre back open to guests. We are told it is going to cost an estimated $14 million for the rebuild.

“The heartbreaking thing was after Hurricane Ian, we started to see pictures of what happened to the theatre, and it just sort of tugged on us. We gave some money in the last few years toward the remodel and trying to get things done, but it became very very evident that that was never going to be enough,” said donor Jim Boldt.

Boldt serves as a city council member in Venice. He and his wife, Donna have been attending shows at the Venice Theatre for years alongside their children and grandchildren. The couple decided to make a contribution of $1 million to help with the recovery efforts and the completion of the three building campus.

The couple said they hope their gift encourages others to donate.

For more details on the recovery efforts, you can visit venicetheatre.org.

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