ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s a rebirth decades in the making. At the center of it is Arnie Rothschild. 

He’s unveiling the first phase of a $65 million restoration of Rochester’s historic Auditorium Theatre. It’s not just about restoring and expanding the theater. Rothschild says it’s about creating an arts ecosystem that reaches beyond Rochester. 

“Buffalo, for example, is a great professional sports town. Syracuse is a great college sports town,” said Rothschild. “The heritage of Rochester has always been entertainment and the arts. But what we haven’t had is the type of venues needed.”

Now called the West Herr Performing Arts Center, this building was originally built as a Masonic temple. The almost 100-year-old building is filled with rooms featuring stages of all sizes and a lot of office space.

Rothschild’s plan is to use that existing space and turn this building into an entertainment center. Inviting arts organizations of all sizes to take up residency. 

It’s an investment not just for the arts, but also for the local economy. For every $1 spent on ticket sales, communities can expect up to $4–$6 in economic return. That’s according to studies from the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

“You want to go out for a night, you want to have dinner, bring your family and go out to a restaurant, either before or after the show. It’s a perfect time to do that,” said Rochester Chamber of Commerce director Robert Duffy.

Duffy believes that all this investment into Rochester’s arts community will make it a destination not just for local groups, but ones from across the state. 

“It will be an attractor. It will bring people here. It speaks volumes when an investment of this magnitude is being made into a theater,” said Duffy. 

“Rochester is going to have the healthiest arts community outside of New York City,” said Rothschild.

For more information on upcoming shows at the West Herr Performing Arts Center, click here.