New Secrest Auditorium Project Underway

ZANESVILLE, OH –Major renovations are set to begin at Secrest Auditorium.

Plans for these renovations have been in the works for years, and now, they’re finally becoming a reality.

The Friends of Secrest organization was established about five years ago to help secure funding and support necessary improvements to the auditorium.

“Construction is gonna begin this week,” said Cole Ryan associate partner at APG Architect. “You’ll start seeing a temporary ramp go up on Fourth. Some major demolition will be occurring. The project that’s underway is part of the Appalachian Community Grant Program. A multimillion-dollar grant was awarded to the city of Zanesville for a large addition to Secrest that’s gonna address a lot of concerns—primarily restrooms and accessibility. There’ll be an elevator added, but also some major streetscaping improvements. All this is very, very exciting.”

According to board member LeVeck, there are approximately 4.7 million people within this market, making it a diverse and valuable audience. The goal of these renovations is to make Secrest a more active venue, attracting larger national acts. This, in turn, could draw more visitors to Zanesville—boosting the local economy by increasing hotel stays, restaurant visits, and overall spending in the area.

“Zanesville sits in a very fortunate market. We’re in what’s called the prime 90-minute market, which means that’s about how far people are almost always willing to drive to see an act or a band or a show,” said Andrew LeVeck a board member of Friends of Secrest.

While the Appalachian Community Grant Program covers critical upgrades, it does not include renovations to the main theater itself. As a result, additional fundraising efforts will be necessary to complete the full vision for Secrest Auditorium.