Nurture Nature Center receives $395,502 to renovate Easton event space
A $395,502 state grant, matched by the Nurture Nature Foundation, will modernize the century-old 3,500 sq. ft. first-floor hall into a full-service event, meeting and exhibit space with upgraded AV, acoustics, lighting and flooring.
The Nurture Nature Center in Easton recently received $395,502 the state for the improvement of its first-floor hall into a full-service space for events, meetings, exhibits and educational activities.
The award came from the Department of Community and Economic Development and will be matched by an equivalent grant from the Nurture Nature Foundation, a Delaware non-profit that is a major supporter of NNC.
The combined funds refurbish a century-old space that once housed the “Strand Theatre”, which opened in 1915 as a silent movie theatre and later became Easton’s first “talkie” movie theatre.
The space to be renovated is a 3500-square-foot double height room on the ground floor of NNC in downtown Easton. This grand room features ornate original plaster details and has capacity to host crowds of 200 people or more.
According to a press release, the funds will support much needed improvements to make the space usable for a wide range of functions and will include advanced audio-visual technology for meetings and presentations, as well as acoustical, lighting and flooring upgrades.
NNC said the award comes at a time when the building is under construction to add a new three story wing that will house a 75-seat Earth & Sky Dome immersive theatre.
NNC is already planning for the opening of that new addition in 2028, which will feature earth and space science as well as cultural programming, and is expected to be a significant driver of visitation to NNC and Easton.