Rendering of Cain Center Dance Room

May 26. By Dave Vieser. Although the planned demolition and groundbreaking for the new Cain Center for the Arts is behind schedule, center officials are unveiling completed designs in a series of virtual events.

The venue’s lobby and exterior were the first to be made public, followed by interior education spaces. Renderings of the theater and gallery will be unveiled on June 2. All the renderings will be on the Cain Center’s YouTube channel as well as Facebook.

Classroom in Cain Center

Established as a 501(c)3 in 2017, the Cain Center for the Arts, when completed, will will include a 400-seat theater, gallery space, event spaces, three classrooms, a community green space and an outdoor plaza.

It will be built on a 1.85 acre plot just west of the Police Station on Catawba Avenue.

Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam said the $25 million project continues to move toward ground breaking which was originally planned for 2018.

Town Manager Andrew Grant said demolition is “likely to occur in the July-September 2020 timeframe.”

Funding for the project began with the passage of a $4 million bond issue by voters in 2013.

Combined with donations from the community, the center’s campaign total is currently close to $16 million towards its $25 million fundraising goal.

Exterior of the $25 million Cain Center