Music center in Yarmouth begins $5M renovation
PHOTO / PETER VAN ALLEN
317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth is undergoing a $5 million renovation.
In Yarmouth, 317 Main Community Music Center is in the throes of a costlier-than-expected $5 million renovation to expand its campus, with much of the additional expense created by the pandemic.
The project will double the nonprofit center's space to 9,500 square feet, and create 11 new classrooms, a large multipurpose space, recording studio and a community cafe, according to 317 Main.
While the center has an ongoing $4 million “raise the barn” fundraising campaign, actual costs of the project have jumped during the pandemic due to higher material and labor costs, said 317 Main Executive Director John Williams.
So far, it has raised $3.6 million and aims to break its $4 million goal by the end of the year.
“For so many of our programs, we were bumping into the walls. We had to have concerts at churches and open mic nights at restaurants. This renovation will allow us to bring it all together, but still have a community presence,” Williams said.
Founded in 2004, 317 Main provides music education, one-on-one music lessons, group classes, jam sessions, ensembles, workshops, and summer camps. During the pandemic, the center has retained about 90% of its students, with 70% of them participating in-person and the rest via Zoom.
The music center is in a rebuilding phase as the pandemic continues, and currently does not have dance or community events. 317 Main draws students from 40 different towns in Maine, with only 30% of its students from its home base of Yarmouth.
The renovation and expansion will allow 317 Main to and expand the types of music it teaches and expand its student population. Plans also call for dance programs, community film nights and an indoor farmer’s market year-round, Williams said.
“The goal is to create a community destination,” Williams said. “We want to draw nationally touring artists but also have a community cafe that, at night, has an Irish pub-like atmosphere. It’s a community center but on the map of a must-visit location in Maine.”
Williams said the 200-seat multi-purpose venue will be unique in the Yarmouth area, with its special design for sound and music. While the Yarmouth Performing Arts Center can seat 800, Williams said, this more intimate setting does not duplicate any other venue in the area.
The project, which is being led by Freeport-based Zachau Construction, broke ground last month is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022, Williams said.
The renovation and expansion will not tap any of the $1.5 million in funds awarded to the center in June by billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. That money will be used for programming, Williams said.
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