The nearly 100-year-old hemp rope and sandbag stage-rigging system at the Historic Ironwood Theatre will be replaced with an easier to operate and much safer counterweight system, allowing more members of the community to get involved in the theatre.

IRONWOOD — The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity awarded $64 million in community center grant funds for 100 Michigan municipalities and organizations to expand programming or work on capital projects to serve 1.6 million Michiganders.

“Community centers anchor thriving communities across the state, offering us all places to gather, connect, learn, and access resources,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The grantees provide a diverse set of services including after-school programming, workforce development, recreational activities, supporting older adults and more.

Grants were awarded to 69 nonprofit agencies including the Historic Ironwood Theatre. There were nearly 1,000 applications requesting over $1 billion in funding. Organizations in 43 Michigan counties received funding. The American Rescue Plan Act provided $60 million in grant funds and in response to the resounding interest from applicants, the Michigan Legislature added an additional $4 million.

The Michigan Community Service Commission, the state’s lead agency on volunteerism, administered the grant process. “It was a very competitive process, and we received many great applications that went through a thorough and rigorous review procedure,” said Gina Holmes, Michigan Community Service Commission executive director.

HIT president Zona Wick praised the work of HIT’s volunteer grant team. “The team meets twice a month throughout the year and the fact we were awarded $250,000 through this state program, speaks volumes about the quality of the team’s work.”

Theatre manager Bruce Greenhill explained that the funds will be used to upgrade the stage rigging system.

“We’ve had the upgrade on our capital works plan for a few years now, so our grant team has been actively seeking an appropriate funding source,” he said. “Replacing our nearly 100-year-old hemp rope and sandbag system with an easier to operate and much safer counterweight system will allow more members of the community to get involved in the production side of things,” Greenhill added.

The HIT board, volunteers, and staff look forward to welcoming more members of the community to get involved in theatre operations.

“Our mission calls us to invite everyone to discover and enjoy the performing arts and to ensure that all generations personally experience the joy of theatre community,” said Wick. “I am confident that the safety and ease-of-use improvements of this project will help us advance that mission.”