The Minnesota Shubert Center is not just about a building. It is also about
a need for affordable space in the performing arts community.
The Minnesota Shubert project began with the recognition that many small and
midsize performing arts groups in the Twin Cities were having difficulty realizing
their full potential because they lacked adequate performance venues.
Artspace Projects, developer of the Minnesota Shubert Center, became involved when asked to determine if either of two vacant downtown theaters, the Shubert and the Pantages (Mann), could be renovated for use as a multipurpose theater. There was a clear preference for the Shubert by performing arts groups.
In 1999, at the request of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency, Artspace agreed to move the theater off Block E, which had been designated for redevelopment, and conduct a capital campaign to create a performing arts and education center.
Before accepting this challenge, however, Artspace commissioned eight separate studies to determine if moving the Shubert was a structurally and financially sound undertaking. These studies made it abundantly clear that the Shubert presents an opportunity to add a unique and highly desirable performance space to the Twin Cities.