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Collinsville Progress has joined in the efforts to restore and reopen the Miner’s Theatre by awarding the Miner’s Institute Foundation (MIF) a $6,000 grant.
Collinsville Progress recently donated $6,000 to the Miners Institute Foundation / Submitted phoot
The theater requires significant renovation to make it ADA accessible and compliant with current building codes before it can be reopened to the public.
“The Miner’s Institute Foundation is so grateful to Collinsville Progress for this contribution,” said MIF Fundraising Chairman Eric O’Donnell.
MIF has partnered with the Collinsville Area Vocational Center, a two year public vocational training center that serves surrounding communities by preparing high school graduates to enter the working world. The Building Trades class will provide a large part of the non-specialized labor needed for the restoration, thus providing a real-world work experience for the students while giving back to the community.
The donation from Collinsville Progress will allow for the purchase of the materials needed for the CAVC to build up the stage, making it flush with the dressing rooms and restrooms in the wings so that a performer in a wheelchair can access those areas; resurface the stage; provide a ramp from the auditorium floor to the stage for a performer in a wheelchair; and some other carpentry-related work.
“This is a significant step towards making the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act,” O’Donnell said.
Collinsville Progress is the community development arm of the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of Progress is to make the community more attractive and appealing to potential businesses and residents and to sponsor projects for the improvement and enjoyment of its citizens. Progress pays for Christmas decorations, street pole banners, and the Uptown WiFi service. It makes grants to charitable causes and gives the monthly Carl Schultz Business Improvement of the Month Award and the Paul Miller Business Associate of the Month Award.
“In keeping with our mission statement, we strongly support the Miner’s Institute Foundation in its efforts to bring the theater back to life. We feel this will help revitalize the Uptown and return a much-needed cultural and arts venue to our community. This will benefit our residents, business owners, and visitors. Collinsville is fortunate to have the Miner’s Theatre as an anchor in its Uptown,” Collinsville Progress Secretary Sandy Darling said.
The Miner’s Theatre opened in 1918. The construction of the building was paid for by the local miners unions. The theatre brought entertainment to the City of a class not usually seen in cities of this size. The second and third floors provided a permanent home for the union offices and a central meeting place for the mining locals. These floors were also used by various community groups for social activities and housed a small library which was the beginning of the present day Collinsville Memorial Public Library. The need to preserve this remarkable structure of such historic and cultural importance is evidenced by its being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, named a Collinsville Progress Historic Landmark in 1993, and a City of Collinsville Historic Landmark in 2013.
Work that remains to reopen the theater includes building ADA compliant restrooms, adding an automatic door opener, plaster repair, insulation, HVAC work, adding a fire alarm system with voice evacuation, electrical upgrades, and code compliant exit and egress lighting. The Miner’s Institute Foundation is currently seeking monetary contributions and organized labor unions wishing to join in the project by donating their labor.
Those interested in the restoration efforts or who want to participate or contribute may visit www.historicminersinstitute.org, follow the foundation on Facebook/Miners Theatre or contact 618-972-4236 or MinersInstitute@gmail.com.
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