The Embassy Theatre to get $1.7 million

By Chris Darby | WANE

Fort Wayne - 

The Embassy Theatre is set to get the first check from the Regional Cities initiative to the northeast Indiana region.

The cash will help the staff get to their $10 million goal for recent work on the building, including the new ballroom and rooftop garden. The $1.7 million from the grant program will allow the theater to get out of debt, allowing the staff to focus on other things.

“With it, it means we’re debt free. That means we can focus on programming,” Embassy Executive Director Kelly Updike said. “We can focus on our mission of preserving and protecting this building and growing our operations.”

While the Embassy project is the first to actually see money from “Regional Cities,” another Summit City project was the first to be approved for a grant in the state. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation green-lighted $2.8 million for the Skyline Tower project.