Kentucky Theatre renovation to begin in February

Almost a year into a $1 million fundraising campaign, the Friends of the Kentucky Theatre, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the 91-year-old movie house in downtown Lexington, announced Tuesday that the group have raised $705,600 and will begin renovations in February.

The theater converted to digital projection and sound equipment this summer. Additional improvements — including the installation of new seats, electrical and lighting upgrades, and new carpet and paint — are scheduled to begin Feb. 17; construction is estimated to take six to eight weeks. The adjacent State Theatre will remain open during this time.

In November, the group will ramp up a seat purchase/donation program and other fund-raising efforts. Details for donating to the Friends campaign are available at Kentuckytheatrefriends.org or the Bluegrass Community Foundation's website, Bgcf.org.

This story was originally published October 8, 2013 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Kentucky Theatre renovation to begin in February."