Millville, New Jersey

At the heart of the Center is the Museum of American Glass, housing the most comprehensive collection of glass produced in the county, and one of only eight museums in New Jersey to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. In addition to bringing more economic development to Millville – both at its industrial park and its downtown core - Silvers says that another focus of the city administration is revitalizing some of its residential neighborhoods “so that they’re places where people want to live. We’re working with the Holley City Development Corporation (HCDC),” she says. “They got an $85,000, Wells Fargo regional foundation neighborhood planning grant, and they’ve been working with the residents of the neighborhood and the downtown businesses to put together a plan that’s neighborhood- based, not top-down driven; seeing what the concerns and goals are of the residents, and then incorporating that into a plan that the city will eventually adopt and incorporate into our plan. Meanwhile, we’re focusing our efforts on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and different types of funding to help turn around the Center City neighborhood.” Turning things around in Millville is getting to be a normal routine. A recent successful turnaround was the renovation of the Levoy Theatre, first opened in 1908 as a theatre and dance hall, then a venue for Vaudeville and silent films, and finally a Warner Brothers-owned movie palace. Due to increasing competition from TV and newer suburban movie theaters, as well as its deteriorating physical condition, the Levoy closed its doors in 1974. In the mid 1980s the store space on the ground floor was reopened for leasing, and the second floor mezzanine was torn out to create residential apartments. A local non-profit group, the Levoy Theatre Preservation Society, struggled for years to raise money in order to purchase and redevelop the theatre, and finally, in 2010, a multi-million dollar financial package containing a combination of tax credits, private, and public funds was compiled, and work on the restoration of the theatre began shortly thereafter. The Levoy Theatre successfully re-opened in September, 2012. Much of the building’s new interior was modeled and matched to the historic features of the century- old venue; it features a small entrance lobby, followed by a larger ground-floor lobby, and a grand staircase leading to a mezzanine lobby. The new theatre seats about 700 patrons, has state-of-art sound and lighting, and a levitating orchestra pit. Today, the Levoy Theater is doing well. “Shows are selling out there,” says Silvers. With new businesses popping up, old structures being brought back to life, a vibrant downtown arts scene, exemplified by the Glasstown Center MI LLV I LLE , NEW JERSEY