Standing before dignitaries and guests inside the cathedral of the old, gothic church, Universal Preservation Hall President Teddy Foster invoked a scene from a decade ago, with the building left to rot, condemned by the city, and a wrecking ball outside its doors.
UPH Board Chairman Sonny Bonacio and Proctors CEO Philip Morris flanked Foster on each side, while outside, a light rain sprinkled upon the steps – a sign of good luck on this July afternoon wedding. Within minutes Morris would announce a “permanent strategic alliance” between UPH and Proctors.
The union between the two non-for-profits ties Schenectady and Saratoga counties in an effort to promote effective arts partnership through regionalism. Proctors is to manage operations, marketing and relationships for UPH, while the hall will retain its own executive staff, allowing the Washington Street venue to bring a variety of arts, culture and community events to downtown Saratoga.
“I imagine the hall as Saratoga’s living room,” said UPH President Teddy Foster, “both a welcome gathering place and the cultural heart of the city; a space where people of all ages can experience the arts and come together for community events.”
Universal Preservation Hall—which remains home for the Universal Baptist Church congregation—is an 1871 High Victorian Gothic cathedral built by Eldridge Boyden. The historic facility offers 12,000 square feet of performance and public spaces, including the Great Hall, which blossoms beneath a 45-foot ceiling and banks of stained glass windows.
Foster’s vision will be fueled by the planned renovations and combined leadership. Foster said UPH is halfway done with the renovation efforts, which has already included stabilizing the church’s foundation, steeple and additional infrastructure. Once completed, which trustees anticipate to happen by Spring 2017, the church will be converted into a 900-seat entertainment venue, complete with climate control, an elevator and a new entrance to accommodate patrons from the neighboring community parking lot.
Included within the plans is a downstairs worship hall.
“It’s an exciting time to be in Saratoga Springs,” said Mayor Joanne Yepsen. “This alliance will further enrich our culture and make downtown more vibrant year round than ever before. It’s one more reason Saratoga Springs should be considered a premier arts destination.”
The partnership started with a phone call three years ago. UPH management in 2012 was conducting a feasibility study that identified strong opportunities for enhanced programming for the Saratoga region and beyond. The study also paved the way for the launch of a $4.3 million capital campaign, with more than $350,000 in commitments already in place through strong board relationships.
The goal of the partnership is to generate commerce for downtown Saratoga Springs and surrounding business districts through patronage of restaurants, shops and services as guests attend concerts of all types; wedding receptions; lectures; dance performances; theatrical productions; film festivals; corporate meetings; art gallery events and more.
“The entire building is too beautiful not to fill with music and theatre and life,” said Proctors CEO Philip Morris. “And we’ll do it all year round, for the community, not just during the traditional tourist season.”
Morris joked about his involvement with another capital campaign, conjuring improvements to the Schenectady theater and recent alliance with the incoming Rivers Casino from recent memory. Morris said adding a hand to assist UPH in a city nearly 30 miles away fit into Proctors’ mission statement to serve as a regional resource for the arts. “The Capital Region is a suburb surrounded by cities, not a city surrounded by suburbs,” said Morris. Answering UPH’s invitation had similar ties to the partnership already present between Proctors and Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany.
“This is a prime example of collaboration crossing regional, economic and political boundaries for the benefit of all,” said Michael J. Hickey, interim president and CEO of the Center for Economic Growth in Saratoga Springs. “These types of alignments help give our region a true backbone and allow us to act as one.”
