Martin Theatre to receive $45k grant | News
Martin Theatre in Downtown Eufaula, a focal point of the downtown area for over 100 years, will soon be displaying a new marquee thanks to a $45,000 grant from the Alabama Power Foundation.
Friends of Martin Theatre group has been approved by the Alabama Power Foundation to receive a $45,645 grant to support the refurbishment of the theatre marquee.
Alabama Power’s grant will cover most of the restoration cost of the theatre’s marquee. The cost of this restoration is substantial, and city officials are confident that once it is installed, it will be a catalyst for further donations to work on the interior.
The marquee will have LED message boards that will be used for communicating to citizens and tourists as they visit Eufaula. The MARTIN letters will be restored and put back with lighting that will make the downtown even more vibrant. The timeline for the installation is anticipated by the end of January.
The Martin Theatre has been a focal point of the Eufaula downtown area for over 100 years and has been through multiple owners and developments. There is a vision to bring the charm and history of the theatre back to Eufaula and to restore it to a place of pride and community.
In the early 1990s, the theatre was burned on the inside and has since remained in a state of ruin and disrepair. In 2019, the theatre was donated to the Eufaula Downtown Redevelopment Authority with anticipation of rehabilitating it to new life. The vision of the authority is to make the theatre an open air entertainment venue. The theatre has no roof, but it has an amazing stage that could be used for concerts or other cultural events.