The opening act of the all-volunteer Uptown! Entertainment Alliance’s transformation of West Chester’s old National Guard Armory into a performance theater is now in the books, with members of the Borough Council playing some of the key roles.

The council unanimously granted UEA permission to purchase and renovate the 1916-built structure without drastically altering its historic façade.

“We’re just absolutely thrilled,” Development Director Angela Scully said in a Daily Local News report. “It has been a long road. I think it was thoughtful and lengthy, but we’ve all arrived here together.”

As it pursued approval, UEA has also raised $2 million of the $3.7 million it will need to invest into the transformation. The rest is hoped to be donated by community supporters between now and Dec. 18.

Among the upcoming opportunities to do that is an Oct. 17 Footlights & Fun Raising patriotic casual gala featuring 10-piece band The Sofa Kings.

Once purchased, the building is expected to undergo a nine-month construction project before its grand opening in the fall of next year.

Read more about the critical government approval in the Daily Local News here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of UEA’s grand ambition here.