ROCHELLE – Vince Carney Community Theatre (VCCT) broke ground last month at the old Lincoln elementary school. The non-profit group is renovating the historic building into its new theatre home. Although most of the renovation work will happen inside the building, a new water line needed to be run into the north wing of the building that will serve as the group’s new home. The digging for the water line officially kicks off the ambitious project that will transform the old gymnasium into the stage and house, and three classrooms into a greenroom, a multipurpose room, and the Annette and Jerry Johns lobby. The remainder of the building will be used to hold set pieces, costumes, props, and work areas.

VCCT has partnered with Holcomb, Stillman, Central, and First State Banks to finance the project. In addition, the theater group received donations and grants from a number of other community organizations including the Rotary, Union Pacific, and Love’s. The building was donated to VCCT by Rick and Doris Kennay of Kennay Farms, and the project is proceeding with the enthusiastic support of the City of Rochelle. Annette and Jerry Johns made a sizable donation toward the remodeling of the old kindergarten room into the lobby, complete with men’s and women’s restrooms and a family bathroom.

Renovating the north wing of the building, which was built in the 1950s, has required extensive work including removing asbestos tiles, installing heat and air conditioning, and adding new plumbing for the bathrooms and multipurpose room. Although VCCT is using mostly local contractors for the more complicated parts of the project, much of the work is being done by volunteers. This summer, volunteers have been busy removing pipes and radiators, removing the old hardwood floor in the gym and replacing it with plywood, replacing broken windows, and preparing the rooms for painting and construction. Volunteers will soon begin building interior walls for the bathrooms, utility rooms, stage area, and tech booth.

In addition to the work inside the building, VCCT hired two local contractors to repair the crumbling façade, including the ornamental plaster work over the original main entrance. Before the end of the summer, all the exterior areas that were painted white will be repainted.

The goal for VCCT is to be ready to perform shows in the new theatre in early to mid-2020. Once open, the group plans to stage at least five productions and host additional events throughout the year.

If you are interested in volunteering for the project, please send an email to vcctrochelle@gmail.com. You can also visit the group’s website to follow the progress at www.vcctrochelle.org.