COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A storied piece of Columbus history came back to life Thursday-- at the grand opening of the newly restored Lincoln Theatre.
The historic Downtown theatre at 769 E. Long St. has undergone a $13.5 million transformation over one-and-a-half years.
The state-of-the-art facility was set to host national and local musical acts, theater productions and films.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman cut the ribbon on the new stage Thursday. The new stage is larger than the old one.
Officials from the city and Franklin County government surrounded the mayor during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Coleman was emotional as he addressed the crowd of community members.
A few of them remembered the Lincoln Theatre as it was in its heyday -- when it was a magnet of entertainment in the black community.
It first opened its doors in 1928 as a home to Central Ohio's flourishing African-American culture and was considered a Midwest precursor of the Harlem Renaissance.
Years ago, John Williams used to accompany his sister to the theatre. She took him with her so she could keep an eye on him.
Ten Central Ohio resident art groups also call the Lincoln home.
The theatre has been listed as a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
Neighbors hope the renovation effort spreads east and helps to rebuild the entire King Lincoln district.
The City of Columbus spent $6 million dollars of capital funds for the renovation. The county and state also spent money. The rest of the money came from donations. No city operating funds were used on improvements.
Visit http://www.capa.com/columbus/venues/lincoln_about.php to learn more.
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