Carteret, NJ – Mayor Daniel J. Reiman announced today that construction of the state-of-the-art Carteret Performing Arts and Event Center (CPAC) will begin at an official groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, July 21, 11:00 am at the corner of Cooke and Washington Avenues in Carteret. The ceremony will feature live theatrical performances, a magician, comedian and family-friendly activities including music, and light refreshments. A miniature model of CPAC will also be handed out to the first 600 people in attendance.
“Our arts center will be one of the premiere entertainment venues in the region,” said Mayor Dan Reiman. “We expect construction of the theater and our upcoming Carteret Arts District to be completed and open by 2020. The arts center and the surrounding private investment in the arts district will revitalize our downtown and re-invigorate our thriving community.”
The theater is being developed by the Carteret Business Partnership (CBP), a non-profit economic development corporation supported by members including Amazon, Dr. Pepper/Snapple, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, A. Duie Pyle, Graybar, Fedex Ground, Kinder Morgan, Berjé, TJX HomeGoods, and Nu World Cosmetics amongst dozens of other member companies.
“Everything from the lighting fixtures and seating to the architecture and aesthetics of the building are currently being meticulously designed and crafted to meet our exact specifications,” said CBP Chairman Mark Hruska. “CPAC will usher in a new era of performing spaces with a flare that will stand the test of time.”
CPAC, located at the site of the old Ritz Theater, will be managed and operated by Comcast Spectra Venue Management, whose other clients include the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the Atlantic City Convention Center, and over 300 additional clients around the world. Funding for the center will be partially provided by a $6 million grant received by the CBP in 2015 from the Middlesex County Cultural Arts Trust Fund.
In addition to CPAC, the Carteret Arts District will also include multiple mixed use residential and commercial buildings.
To find out more about the Carteret Performing Arts and Event Center, please visit Carteret.net or call 732-541-3835.
