KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — The Gem Theatre in downtown Kannapolis has been around since the 1930s. This week, city leaders celebrated its 85th birthday while also announcing the completion of the first phase of renovations at the facility.
The renovations included installing a new HVAC system, handicap-accessible bathrooms on the first floor and restoring the building’s marquee. Improvements at the historic theater are part of the city’s larger downtown revitalization effort. The downtown remake has seen strong activity recently and has another wave of development lined up.
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But among the most important tasks there, city leaders say, is preserving and improving the Gem.
There are expected to be two more phases of renovations at the Gem, which will include upgrades such as new seating. The work on the theater joins a flurry of other projects being planned in downtown’s new wave of activity.
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