Milton Theatre expansion project approved

Milton Theatre passed the first test in a planned two-story, 3,600-square-foot addition to the existing building after plans earned unanimous approval from the town’s historic preservation commission May 13. 

The new addition will include an education wing with classrooms and additional artist spaces. New bathrooms will be added, and the bar will be reconfigured. It will also have a private outdoor patio and roof deck, and new loading and storage areas.

Theater Director Fred Munzert said the goal is to break ground on the project in June and complete it by spring 2026. The theater will continue to hold shows during construction. Munzert said the project will cost about $3 million.

The educational wing, which adds new studio spaces and will allow the theater to serve more kids during its popular summer camps, is part of Phase 2 of a massive renovation project. The first phase was reconstructing a balcony, a project that was completed in April 2023. The new addition will add a second staircase to access the balcony, allowing the theater to sell more seats up there. Currently, the theater has only been selling a maximum of 49 seats for the balcony. The new staircase will allow for a capacity of 114.

Munzert said, “Building the balcony still feels like a dream, and now the dream expands and continues! The expanded wing greatly changes the number of people we are able to serve. Super excited.”

The theater needed its plans approved by the historic preservation commission because the building is a contributing property listed with the U.S. Department of the Interior, meaning there are limits to what kind of additions can be built. Additionally, new construction is encouraged to blend in with the old as much as possible. It also means any renovations to the building come under the auspices of the commission. However, all six members of the commission were effusive in their praise for the plans and supported the theater undertaking the project.