Our presenters, Jaime Turnbull and Roger Hull, gave us a sneak peek at the plans for The Schaap Center, Grosse Pointe Park.
Roger began with a brief background on Paul Schaap. A Wayne State professor, he holds numerous patents, which has allowed him to become a philanthropist. He helped the DIA secure its art during Detroit’s bankruptcy and has been extremely generous for the arts. For the Schaap Center, he has donated $10 million, will fund operating expeneses of $500,000/year for the first five years, and has a $5 million matching challenge toward an endowment. The Manoogians have donated $5 million toward the overall $25 million goal.
The Paul and Carol Schaap Center for the Performing Arts and Richard and Jane Manoogian Art Gallery began as a concept in 2012, moved on to parcel purchases, with planning commission approval set for this August. The plan is to have the grand opening in the fall of 2022.
The Schaap Center will be a state-of-the-art arts center dedicated to stimulating high-quality performing and visual arts experiences. There will be a 400-seat theatre, high tech audio and lighting, an orchestra pit (with a overlift), and world-class acoustics. The Grosse Pointe Theatre and the Grosse Pointe Symphony will be program partners, with GP Theatre using 26 weeks a year.