Construction has begun on the new Triumvirate Theatre, according to a Facebook post by the group last week.
The new location of the theater will be on Daubenspeck Road near Daubenspeck Park in Kenai. The land was donated by the City of Kenai, and the design describes a $4.7 million facility two stories tall with an audience capacity of 150 people.
The start of construction, announced on Saturday, April 27, came “1,162 days” after the fire that destroyed the Triumvirate’s former location, the group wrote on Facebook, and the construction of a new facility is happening because of “hundreds of people who have contributed to making this happen both in donations, sweat and tears.”
Construction also comes roughly eight months after a ceremonial groundbreaking held in August where Triumvirate performers celebrated the future at an event attended by local, state and federal governments who, according to previous Clarion reporting, “described Triumvirate Theatre as an asset to the local community, a place for children to grow as individuals, and a creative force that extends far beyond the walls of any one building.”
On Wednesday, the once heavily wooded lot could be seen leveled, with some fallen trees still occupying part of the space. Large construction equipment awaited operators in the otherwise empty lot —which was partially fenced off — and a sign proclaimed the “Future Home of Triumvirate Theatre.”
For more information, find “Triumvirate Theatre” on Facebook. To donate to the reconstruction effort, visit TheShowMustGoOn.help.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.