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Montgomery College trustees and alumni urge council to fund Theater Arts Building overhaul
Summary
Montgomery College Board members, alumni and supporters urged the County Council to fund a full renovation of the Theater Arts Building, citing decades‑old systems, workforce development benefits and rising enrollment in performing arts programs.
Montgomery College trustees, alumni and performing‑arts supporters told the County Council on Feb. 10 that the Theater Arts Building on the Rockville campus needs modernization to support instruction and regional arts employment.
Gloria Pariso Blackwell, chair of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees, said the theater building—built in the Lyndon Johnson era—has exceeded its useful life and needs upgrades to HVAC, lighting, sound and scene‑shop safety to prepare students for the region’s 28,000‑job arts sector. She cited enrollment growth at the college and called theater arts a pipeline for workforce development.
Topher Gott, a Montgomery College performing arts alumnus and practitioner, described how modern lighting, sound and Ventilation systems are essential for technical training and safe shop work. Anita Neal Powell, representing the Montgomery College Alumni Association, asked the council to fully fund the county executive’s CIP request for the theater renovation and stressed community uses.
Speakers framed the project as both an academic and local‑economic investment, urging the council to include the theater modernization in CIP allocations rather than defer the work.
The council did not act at the hearing; testimony will inform budget deliberations and any decisions on higher‑education capital lines.
