Columbus council OKs $3M TIF grant for Crump Theatre, moving Project Encore into design phase

The Republic reports the Columbus City Council approved a $3 million TIF grant from the central allocation area to support Project Encore, the Crump Theatre renovation. Under city ordinance, any redevelopment commission expenditure over $500,000 must receive council approval; with that vote secured, Project Encore is moving into design, planning and preconstruction, with Indianapolis-based DKGR leading design under principal architect Brian Schubert.

The project team plans to renovate the existing 16,500-square-foot theater and add a new 15,000-square-foot, four-level addition, effectively doubling the venue’s space and yielding capacity for more than 800 guests for traditional seated performances and about 950 for partially seated concerts and events. The organization reported about $5 million in gifts and pledges toward the capital campaign at the time of the READI announcement. Officials told The Republic public investment is required to access the READI dollars. AMS Planning & Research is signed on for two to three years to advise on operations; the Historic Crump will undergo a walk-through with the Indiana State Historic Preservation Office and a preservation consultant on Oct. 19, finalists for construction-manager-as-constructor interviews are scheduled the day after Oct. 19, and user-group survey sessions are planned for Oct. 21. The organization anticipates an 18-month construction timeline, with work finishing in the fall of 2028, according to the reporting.

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