Uptown Theater To Be Donated To Creative Arts Group

After a series of unfortunate events the historic Uptown Theater of Utica has been granted a new life once again.

New owner Tracey Mills is in the process of donating the property now that M&T bank, the mortgage company, has forgiven the debt that is owed on the property at 2012-2018 Genesee Street, to allow the donation to move forward.

The property will be known as the non-profit, "Uptown Theater for the Creative Arts, or UTCA'". A spokeswoman from M&T did confirm that Mills has been given a clean slate to move forward with the donation. She declined to comment on the details of the arrangement.

According to the statement from UTCA the group plans to "revive the theater as a space for live performances and movie screenings, with a new emphasis on community involvement through collaborative workshops and classes. The restoration work, according to the UTCA statement, will begin in the coming months. A reopening date has yet to be determined.

The  Uptown, first opened in 1927, has sat empty for at least for the last 4 years. "The Uptown has evolved with the times as a place to truly experience entertainment", said Briana Mahoney, UTCA co-founder and director of marketing and community outreach in the statement."The time has come to bring the experience  back to Utica in a big way. We are excited to present our vision to redevelop the Uptown Theater - another major step toward Howard appreciable change in the uptown business district",.

.[Observer Dispatch]