Big things are happening in Bellefonte.
The Stage at Talleyrand Committee announced the awarding of a $1 million grant toward the design and construction of a state-of-the-art venue for performing arts in the park. The grant is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
The allocation was officially announced during a news conference on May 1 at Big Spring Spirits in Bellefonte.
Former Bellefonte Mayor Tom Wilson, who has spearheaded the campaign for The Stage at Talleyrand, was the first to speak.
“Bellefonte has always had a strong history of promoting the performing arts,” Wilson said, “and we want to continue that tradition with a first-class band shell. Hopefully, we’ll get this done here in the next couple of years.”
The Stage at Talleyrand Committee has been working to build support for a venue that will enhance the cultural and economic landscape of the region. The open-air performing arts stage will provide a space for concerts, plays, dance performances and other cultural events that will attract visitors from near and far.
The $1 million grant will go a long way toward making The Stage at Talleyrand a reality, according to committee Co-chair Rick Jacobs.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the PA DCED,” he said. “This grant will allow us to move forward with the construction of The Stage at Talleyrand and provide the community with a much-needed space for cultural events.”
Jacobs provided those in attendance with a breakdown of the timeline of events for The Stage at Talleyand.
“We’ve been at this for about two years. … It took us that long to really put things together,” Jacobs said.
He even recalled the day he was asked to join the committee.
“I was minding my own business, walking around the park here one day about two years ago and (then) Mayor Tom Wilson corralled me and said, ‘What do you think about building a band shell here in the park?’ I grew up in Los Angeles, so I immediately thought of the Hollywood Bowl. Why not? He said, ‘I think we can do it; we just need to raise some money.’”
Jacobs said the gazebo has been used for music in the past, but it is subpar.
“What we’ve been told by musicians is that the sound goes everywhere but where it should go. It goes up, it goes behind them. So having a really first-rate stage where we can not only do music, but we can do plays … we can do all sorts of things with this,” Jacobs said.
The design of The Stage at Talleyrand will be in the hands of HLA — Hoffman Leakey Architects LLC.
“We’re thankful as a small, local firm to be involved with this project. It’s been a great joy to work with the committee. We’re looking for great things,” HLA’s Mike Leakey said. “We are a part of the Bellefonte community. We think the park is an awesome place. … We are concerned about the historic nature of what we’re dealing with here and how it fits in to historic Bellefonte. That’s very important to us.”
State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Bellefonte) helped secure the $1 million grant from DCED. He said The Stage at Talleyrand will be “another great catalyst” for the community.
“As your representative, it’s fun to be able to bring some money back to the community for a project like this,” Benninghoff said. “Isn’t this what a community is all about? Investing today for future generations. It’s something we can look back at.”
Jacobs said if The Stage at Talleyrand is built, people will come.
“We want people talking about this. We want a buzz about what’s going to come,” Jacobs said. “Build it and we will get some really top talent, which will spur more top talent. We want people in the entertainment industry to want to come to our stage.”
For more information, visit The Stage at Talleyrand website at stageattalleyrand.org.
