Sewickley officials have finalized a name for the new small park outside The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center.
Council has dubbed the lawn outside the main entrance to the renown entertainment and educational venue as Walnut Green. The theater is located at 418 Walnut St.
The borough owns the land and the lawn but not the theater, itself. That’s owned by an independent, film-driven arts nonprofit. Its lawn has been under construction since July.
Council members submitted potential names via paper ballot at the Sept. 24 workshop meeting. Other considerations included Walnut Square, Walnut Plaza and Theater Lawn.
Council ultimately voted for Walnut Green on Oct. 8.
“I’ve gotten lots of compliments and comments on the project,” said council President Cynthia Mullins. “I think people around town are just thrilled that it’s going to be a very welcoming and usable space. I haven’t heard any criticism whatsoever. It’s all been positive comments.”
Borough officials hope the multi-purpose open area will be used by many and entice more people to take in a movie or a show.
The theater hosts a variety of educational programs including talks with local meteorologists in connection with the release of the “Twisters” movie.
Work to be done included installation of picnic tables, benches and lighting. The project was not complete as of press time.
Landscape improvements including new trees, shrubs and flowers and other plantings were finished last month.
Environmental renovations are part of a nearly $93,400 project that was awarded to Pittsburgh-based Vermont Stone & Horticulture in May.
Resident Janice Melonic was on a brisk early evening walk around town when she paused at the lawn shortly before council voted on its name.
“I knew that they were going to be landscaping the area,” she said. “It’s nice that they chose to make it a park. A little bit of added greenery is nice. I’m going to hold of judgement. The fence is interrupting my view of it. … It’s nice to have a theater here in Sewickley.”
Borough Manager Donna Kaib said a ribbon cutting ceremony is being planned for sometime in November. She plans to work with theater officials to ensure the ceremony does not interfere with other programs.
The theater remained open during construction.
Chief Executive Officer Carolina Thor said they have had exchanges with borough officials throughout the process, including the naming. She thanked them for their support and investment in the site.
“The park is an added asset to the community, and the theater certainly benefits from an improved entrance,” Thor said.
“We do want to acknowledge the efforts of Mayor George Shannon, whose leadership turned a long-discussed idea into reality. We also appreciate the attention given to this project by Kaib and her team. Patrons have commented on the much-needed enhancements, and surely will be using the space in the near future.”
Shannon was one of the champions of the project. He said the park idea came from multiple discussions the past couple years.
“The grass was just always grass and was not well-kept,” the mayor said. “It was natural to want to have a park.
”I started talking about it, but I was not the only one. We met with one of the garden clubs, and they encouraged it a lot. (The theater) didn’t have the money to do it. It really fell upon (the borough). The land that the building is on, they lease from us.
“They’re nice people. We really want them in our community. It’s a great asset to our community and we need to do everything we can to keep them healthy.”
The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center’s three-year $1,100-per-month lease expires in December.
Kaib said it automatically renews for another three years unless either party decided to renegotiate.
The venue was known as The Tull Family Theater from its opening in February 2017 to the start of last year, when its new name was christened as part of a 10-year sponsorship by The Corry Family Foundation.
The Corry family’s multi-year gift is a tribute to their late, much-adored daughter and sister, Lindsay Nicole Corry.
More information about the theater and its programs is available by calling 412-259-8542 or email hello@thelindsaytheater.org.