LaGuardia Community College Announces $4M Arts Investment
LaGuardia Community College
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. joins LaGuardia Community College students and college representatives as the Queens college announces $4 million in capital funding for renovations and technology upgrades to its arts and media facilitie
LaGuardia Community College has received $4 million in New York City capital funding to renovate and modernize its arts and media facilities in Queens. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and City Council Member Julie Won each allocated $2 million toward the project, which is expected to leverage matching New York State funding and generate approximately $8 million in total investment. Planned improvements include upgrades to theaters, television production facilities, student learning spaces, production labs and dressing rooms. The project will also modernize lighting, electrical, communications, HVAC and other building systems while improving accessibility. The investment will support students studying theater, film and television, and music performance while strengthening the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center as a cultural destination in western Queens.
LaGuardia Community College Announces $4 Million Investment in Arts and Media Facilities
$2 million allocations from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and
Council Member Julie Won will modernize theaters, television studios, and student learning spaces.
LaGuardia Community College/CUNY today announced a $4 million investment towards its arts and media facilities. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and Council Member Julie Won (District 26, Queens) have allocated $2 million each in capital funding for the project.
With matching funds from New York State, the $4 million allocation is expected to leverage a total project investment of approximately $8 million in the next fiscal year.
“This investment will strengthen both our academic programs and our role as a cultural resource for Queens,” said President Kenneth Adams. “These improvements will create modern, accessible spaces where students can learn, artists can create, and audiences can gather to experience exceptional work. They will also help LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) continue bringing diverse audiences together through performances that reflect the creativity and cultural vitality of New York City.”
“LaGuardia Community College has long been a pillar of higher education in our city, unlocking opportunities and brightening futures for generations of students,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “To invest in this school is to directly invest in those opportunities and futures, and I couldn’t be prouder to allocate $2 million this fiscal year to strengthen this incredible institution. To the educators and administrators of LAGCC, thank you for your partnership and the heroic work you do every day to improve the lives of your students.”
“The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center is the largest theater complex in western Queens, and for too long its facilities have not matched the quality of the work produced by the college,” said Council Member Julie Won. “This $2 million investment will include much needed renovations for performance and production, modernizing the infrastructure needed for shows and enhancing ADA accessibility throughout. The next generation of artists coming from LaGuardia’s Theater, Film, Television, and Music programs will have access to a space that matches their talent and ambitions. Thank you to Borough President Richards for matching the $2 million investment, bringing a total of $4 million for the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.”
The funding will support renovations and technology upgrades to theaters, television production facilities, student learning spaces, and supporting infrastructure across the college’s arts and media facilities, including the Mainstage Theater, Little Theater, Black Box Theater, Television Studio, production labs, and dressing rooms.
The project will modernize facilities used by students in LaGuardia’s Theater, Film and Television, and Music Performance degree programs, providing expanded opportunities for creative practice and experiential learning in professional-caliber performance and production environments. Offered through the college’s Humanities Department, these programs combine classroom instruction with hands-on production experience, preparing students to transfer to four-year institutions and pursue careers in the arts, entertainment, and media industries.
For the broader Queens community, the improvements will bolster LPAC, the largest theater complex in western Queens, and a leading destination for live performance, artistic engagement, and cultural exchange. LPAC presents theater, dance, music, family programming, and new works by emerging and established artists. It also serves as an important training ground for students pursuing careers in the performing arts, film, television, and related fields.
Planned upgrades include extensive renovations to performance and production spaces; modernization of lighting, electrical, communications, fire alarm, and HVAC systems; and enhanced ADA accessibility throughout the renovated areas. All work will be designed to meet LEED Silver standards, advancing sustainability and energy efficiency across the upgraded facilities.
Next month, LPAC will host the Theater program’s fall production of Godspell, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by John-Michael Tebelak. Directed and choreographed by Stefanie Sertich, professor and director of the Theater Program, the production will run November 18–22 in LPAC’s Little Theater. Tickets are available now.
Source: Laguardia Community College
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