Partners in Preservation: Helping Reopen the Historic Englewood Theater

by Phil Hanson, President and CEO, Truman Heartland Community Foundation


The Truman Heartland Community Foundation is pleased to support the group of Independence community leaders leading the initiative to redevelop the Englewood Theater, which has been closed for 18 years.

Our Board of Directors agreed to the Foundation serving as a fiscal sponsor for this project in September 2024, while the newly formed Friends of Englewood Theater obtained its 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS. Brent Schondelmeyer is leading the charge on this project.

Brent and his wife, Lee Williams, were recognized at our 2020 Toast to Our Towns Gala as Humanitarians of the Year and have continued their community service through this project and numerous other initiatives.

Great progress has been made. The property is now under contract, and they will soon close on a loan to purchase the theater for $600,000. A feasibility study paid for by the City of Independence estimates that the renovation costs will be $3.5 million, bringing the total cost to $4.1 million.

The process for obtaining historic tax credits is well underway, which could provide $1.4 million of the renovation costs. The Friends of Englewood Theater are making plans to launch a capital campaign to raise the $2.7 million in community support needed to make this dream a reality. 

This campaign will require a lot of effort, but I have no doubt that it will be successful. The community is very excited about this project, and I anticipate that a significant number of the Foundation's Fundholders will be interested in making a grant from their donor-advised fund to support this project.

Brent Schondelmeyer and the Board have been extremely transparent with the community regarding this project. Their website, www.englewoodtheater.org, provides all the information about the project, their plans, and the history of the theater, which was the home of the Kansas City Opry for over a decade. You can sign up on the website to receive their newsletter and stay updated.

The reopening of the Englewood Theater will be another boost for this community, adding to the energy and excitement brought by the Englewood Arts Center. The Friends of Englewood Theater is a separate nonprofit organization from Englewood Arts; however, the two organizations work closely together to support each other's missions.

The Truman Heartland Community Foundation is pleased to be playing a supporting role assisting the Friends of Englewood Theater in making the dream of reopening this historic theater a reality. I hope you also will consider supporting the Friends of Englewood Theater. 

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