Cygnet Theatre is moving to ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station!
Cygnet Theatre and NTC Foundation have partnered to transform the historic former navy Building 178 at Liberty Station into a world-class performing arts venue for San Diego, creating a permanent home for Cygnet Theatre.
The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center, known as “The Joan,” will include two state-of-the art theatre spaces with spacious, ADA accessible seating, a rehearsal space, open air lobby, two elegant bars, three landscaped patios, ample restrooms, and parking. An art gallery will occupy the lower lobby space showcasing local artists.
Where will The Joan be located?
Cygnet’s new permanent home will be the renovated Building 178, located at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station in Point Loma. It is located at 2880 Roosevelt Road, San Diego, CA 92106, between Truxton and Historic Decatur Roads.
Isn’t that an airport flyover area?
Yes! Because it is located near the airport in a flyover area, we have worked with our architect and an acoustics firm to design advanced features that will mitigate noise from the lobby and plane flyover.
Why is Cygnet moving?
The Joan will provide Cygnet Theatre with ample space for arts programming in a contemporary space that fits our contemporary values. The Main Stage Theatre will allow us to continue programming more commercially-known productions, while the Studio Theatre will allow us to take larger artistic risks with an intimate audience.
This move will also improve Cygnet’s long-term financial sustainability by consolidating all company functions under one roof, providing a long-term lease at significantly lower costs than we are currently paying. The new location within the ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station positions Cygnet in a highly visible space among arts and culture enthusiasts and potential new audience members. We’re very excited about the plentiful parking, too.
What will happen to Old Town Theatre?
Cygnet currently leases Old Town Theatre from California State Parks. California State Parks will determine the theatre’s future use once Cygnet moves to its new home at Liberty Station.
How will this benefit the community?
Cygnet is excited to partner with and present more opportunities for other artists and organizations within the performing arts center. These partnerships will foster live performance and elevate the arts for the region. The Joan will also provide additional employment opportunities, encourage increased partnerships with under-resourced communities throughout the region, and attract more than 50,000 theatre attendees each year to patronize nearby businesses.
This sounds great! When will construction begin?
It already has!
In July 2023, much-needed building maintenance was completed to preserve the integrity of the historic portion of Building 178 in preparation for official construction and renovations.
On December 5, 2023, construction of The Joan officially began and we held our official groundbreaking ceremony on January 23, 2024. Check out the exciting photos (coming soon).
Take a deeper dive into our progress by checking out our onsite timelapse camera (coming soon).
When will construction be completed?
We look forward to completing construction in Spring 2025.
When is the upcoming season going to be announced? When is the first show?
That’s a tricky question! As our construction timeline moves forward, we’ll have a better idea of when we can schedule the new season. Once construction is completed, our move-in process will include setting up and testing our lighting and sound systems and ensuring everything is ready for our patrons!
How is this project being funded?
With the enthusiasm and generosity of our community’s philanthropic leaders, Cygnet and NTC Foundation have raised 73% of the project’s total $43.5M cost. We will continue to rely on philanthropic donations from the community for the remainder.
How can I support the project?
Thank you for asking! For information about how to make a contribution, please visit www.Building178.org.