Jan. 30. Nearly $500,000 in new pledges late last year helped bring the campaign to build the $25 million Cain Center for the Arts to more than 60 percent of its fundraising goal. The fourth quarter total was nearly $500,000.

The Cain Center for the Arts, which was established in 2017, will anchor the new downtown Arts District. The blue buildings on the site are expected to be demolished in the next six months; architectural design and development 75 percent complete.

The arts center, which is expected to be an economic engine for downtown, is named for local philanthropists and community leaders Ericka and Bill Cain who donated $5 million in 2018.

“We are incredibly grateful for the many investors who contributed so generously to the Cain Center for the Arts in the fourth quarter of 2019,” said Greg Wessling, president of Cain Center for the Arts board of directors.

The center also received a $2 million commitment from Kathryn Keele and her family and a $500,000 commitment from the Cashion family.

More About Cain Center for the Arts

Established as a 501(c)3 in 2017, Cain Center for the Arts will be a home for creativity, learning, entertainment and community for the Lake Norman region. The center will include a 400-seat theater, gallery space, an outdoor venue, and classrooms. In addition to providing a home for national and regional shows and performances, it will also be a venue for community, private, and civic events. A $4 million bond project for redeveloping the arts district was approved by voters. More info: cainarts.org.