We’ve added Uptown! Entertainment Alliance’s high-quality video of last week’s event to our own reporting on the Daily Local News story. Check it out.

The former National Guard Armory in West Chester is already flashing glimpses of gold—and the soon-to-be theater hasn’t even shown a thing yet. It was golden shovels that lined the front yard of the Uptown! facility last week for its groundbreaking premiere. Interior renovations are now underway.

That’s got plenty of West Chester residents excited.

“I always tell kids when I see them we live in the greatest county in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world,” Rep. Dan Truitt said in a Daily Local News report by Candice Monhollan. “But the one thing I knew we were missing was a theater. I’m truly excited to see this happening finally after all these years.”

As the months-long restoration and repurposing project toils away, Uptown! will continue to fundraise toward the $900,000 left to achieve its goal. Current plans aim to debut the theater with an unforgettable grand opening party on New Year’s Eve.

“Somebody has an idea, they talk with their friends, the idea becomes a solid dream and the dream becomes a reality,” Mayor Carolyn Comitta said in the article. “This is going to be a reality that’s going to be fantastic for our children, for our families and for all of our community members right here in the borough, all across Chester County and the region. West Chester is a beacon for the arts and culture, and for people to come together, celebrate life and all that’s beautiful about it.”

Read more about the Uptown! groundbreaking ceremony in the Daily Local News here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the five-year effort here.