ROCHELLE – The Vince Carney Community Theater held a ground-breaking ceremony at their future home on Wednesday morning.
VCCT was created in 1981 with a goal of bringing quality productions to Rochelle and Ogle County. Since its creation they have performed many different plays for the community, but were forced to find a new location to rent each time to perform.
Since acquiring the former Lincoln School property from the Kennay family and announcing to the public in June of 2018 that it will be the future home of the VCCT, crews of volunteers have been working hard cleaning it out and making it safe for renovations.
While they have been working hard for weeks on the inside and some of the exterior, this is the first time any dirt on site is being moved.
“We are running the pipes and everything to get plumbing into the building to connect to the sewer system so that we can have running water and toilets and things like that,” explained Kimberley Ekes, secretary at the VCCT.
Some of the work already completed includes cleaning out the entire cafeteria in the basement, replacing many of the windows, power washing the exterior and replacing the entire gymnasium floor where the future stage is going to be built.

The VCCT has only had to hire outside workers for one project so far.
“Everything that has been done so far has been from volunteers except for the asbestos removal, we had to hire that out obviously,” added Amy Frank, president of the VCCT.

Pictured is the gymnasium at the old Lincoln school and future home of the VCCT as they replace the flooring.

The funds for this project have all come from private donations, lots of fundraisers, a $15,000 grant from the Union Pacific, $2,000 from Loves truck stop, and a $150,000 loan that is being split between Holcomb Bank, Stillman Bank, Central Bank and First State Bank.
While making this building the future home of the VCCT will benefit them greatly in renting costs, the community theater is hoping that it can also be used for many other events as well — just because this is going to be the home of the VCCT, that is not all that will take place inside the building.

“We can offer it to more than just VCCT shows, we plan on doing a lot more community events here. It is going to be true community theater, that also happens to be the home of the VCCT,” explained Frank.
Since the building had been sitting vacant for nearly eight years before being acquired by the community theater group, this project has taken up lots of time and resources, but the group could not be happier to have use of the building.
“It is a huge project, it has been very exciting in a scary way, but I am thrilled because for the last 35 years the VCCT has wanted their own permanent home,” said Frank and Ekes.
The Vince Carney Community Theater is hoping to have renovations complete and able to host its first play in the building in the Spring or Summer of 2020.