SteppingStone Theatre's new home includes 430-seat auditorium and on-site classrooms

SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development recently renovated a 100-year-old pillar of the community in the Summit-University neighborhood of St. Paul. Construction on the former Grace Community Church, located at Victoria Street next to William Mitchell College of Law, began February 2007. SteppingStone Theatre will move into its new home December 1st.

“We are thrilled with the potential this building holds as SteppingStone Theatre’s new home,” said Richard Hitchler, artistic director of the 19-year-old company. “We are—quite literally—bursting at the seams due to significant growth over the past few years. This new facility will enable us to serve the needs of the youth in our community.”

SteppingStone Theatre’s renovation plans include improvement of the exterior; conversion of the sanctuary into a 430-seat theatre with a proscenium-style stage equipped with modern lighting and sound capabilities; installation of an elevator for accessibility to all areas of the building; and construction of classrooms, dressing rooms and administrative offices on the lower level. When complete, the facility will be home not only to SteppingStone Theatre’s programs, but also available for use by other arts and community organizations as well.

Summit-University neighborhood member Mary Cardinal Peterson said, “Preserving this 100-year-old gem for a children’s theater, as well as for other community uses, benefits our neighborhood in so many ways. We believe that SteppingStone Theatre will add an essential quality to the neighborhood and serve as a safe gathering place for young people.”

SteppingStone Theatre purchased its future home in August 2005, The building, listed as a noteworthy example of architecture and style on the Historic Hill District’s National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1908 to house a Methodist congregation. Later it was home to Saints Volodymyr and Olga Ukrainian Church. More recently, Grace Community Church members worshipped at the site before selling the building to a developer. After a neighborhood petition drive produced enough signatures to support preservation of the building, the City Council denied the developer’s request to demolish the building. The facility has been vacant for several years.