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The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has launched a $25 million campaign for a new 19,000-square-foot community arts and education center in Over-the-Rhine. The proposed Cincinnati arts center would include a studio theater with more than 150 seats and additional space for education and community programs. The facility would be built on a surface parking lot immediately south of the Otto M. Budig Theater.
Cincinnati arts center plans are moving forward as the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company launches a $25 million fundraising campaign for a new community facility.
The Cincinnati arts center would add 19,000 square feet of space to the company’s Over-the-Rhine campus.
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company announced the expansion Friday, Aug. 21, as it began the fundraising effort called “For All, For All Time.” The project would expand the company’s existing theater campus while adding space for arts education, community programs and performances.
Cincinnati arts center campaign targets $25 million
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is seeking $25 million to fund the planned expansion, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The project would add a 19,000-square-foot community arts and education center immediately south of the Otto M. Budig Theater.
The expansion would also include a new studio theater with more than 150 seats. The seating would use a flexible, movable layout that could support different types of performances and events. Downtown Cincinnati architecture firm GBBN designed the proposed expansion, according to the Enquirer.
The campaign represents a major expansion for the theater company less than a decade after it opened its current home.
The company opened the Otto M. Budig Theater in 2017. The facility contains about 38,000 square feet and seats 250 people in an intimate theater configuration, according to architectural trade publication Metal Architecture.
The new Cincinnati arts center would provide additional space beyond the company’s main performance venue.
The company calls the fundraising effort “For All, For All Time.” It has not announced a construction completion date in the initial reports about the campaign.
Cincinnati arts center would expand Over-the-Rhine campus
The proposed Cincinnati arts center would rise on a surface parking lot along Elm Street, immediately south of the existing theater. Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., commonly known as 3CDC, owns and operates the parking lot, according to local reporting.
The project would keep the company’s operations concentrated around its existing Over-the-Rhine location.
The Otto M. Budig Theater sits at 1195 Elm St. near Washington Park. The theater became part of the neighborhood’s growing cultural district when it opened in 2017.
The original building replaced the company’s former theater space and gave Cincinnati Shakespeare Company room for larger productions and education programs. The 2017 theater project cost $17 million and included a 250-seat performance space.
The new expansion would add a different type of space to the campus.
The planned studio theater would provide more than 150 seats in a flexible arrangement. That design could allow the company to change the room based on the type of production or program.
The community arts and education center would also create additional space for activities outside the mainstage season.
The company already operates educational programs for students and families. Its current programming includes workshops, school programs, summer camps and PROJECT38, an education initiative that connects teaching artists with classrooms.
According to the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s education information, PROJECT38 works with schools across Greater Cincinnati and uses Shakespeare-inspired projects to encourage creative and collaborative learning. The company also offers educational matinees and other programs for students.
Cincinnati arts center adds education and community space
Education remains a major part of the company’s work beyond its regular theater productions.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company currently offers programs for teachers, students, families and adults. Its education department provides school workshops, educational performances and PROJECT38 activities.
The company also operates summer programs for children.
Its current family programming includes theater camps for elementary and middle school students. The programs combine acting, movement, creative activities and rehearsal work.
The company says its programs give young people opportunities to build confidence and collaborate with other students. The planned Cincinnati arts center could give those programs additional space as the organization expands its campus.
The company also takes performances outside its downtown theater.
Its Shakespeare in the Park program brings free professional performances to parks and public spaces throughout the region. The company’s website describes the tour as a way to expand access to theater beyond its downtown location.
According to the company’s Shakespeare in the Park information, the program reaches communities across the tri-state region each summer.
The new facility could therefore serve both theater production and educational purposes.
Cincinnati arts center follows growth at existing theater
The expansion comes as Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its regular performance and education schedule.
The company’s current season includes productions at the Otto M. Budig Theater and touring programs around the region. Its website lists “Much Ado About Nothing” among its 2026 programs, with performances continuing through Sept. 6.
The company has also announced its 2026-27 season.
Upcoming productions include “Network,” “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!).” The company has also announced productions for early 2027.
The existing theater’s design gives audiences close access to performers. Architectural coverage of the 2017 project reported that all seats sit within 20 feet of the stage.
The theater also features a flexible thrust stage and six seating rows. Its 38,000-square-foot design includes rehearsal and event space in addition to the main performance area.
The planned expansion would add another venue while increasing the company’s overall usable space.
The studio theater’s flexible seating could also allow the company to stage productions that require a different configuration from the main theater.
Cincinnati arts center could strengthen OTR arts district
The project would add another major cultural investment to Over-the-Rhine.
The neighborhood already contains several performing arts venues, restaurants, residential buildings and public spaces. The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company campus sits near Washington Park and other cultural destinations in the historic district.
The company’s existing theater helped establish a dedicated arts presence along Elm Street when it opened in 2017.
The new Cincinnati arts center would continue that development by placing education, community programming and theater production within the same campus.
The project also comes as Cincinnati continues to invest in its downtown and Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods.
3CDC has played a major role in downtown and Over-the-Rhine redevelopment. The organization has worked on projects involving housing, public spaces, commercial development and cultural facilities throughout Cincinnati’s urban core.
3CDC’s 20-year retrospective details the organization’s role in downtown and neighborhood redevelopment, including projects involving cultural and public spaces.
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company expansion would add to that broader pattern of investment in Cincinnati’s urban core.
For the theater company, the project would create a larger campus without requiring a move from its current Over-the-Rhine location.
What the Cincinnati arts center would include
The proposed expansion would combine performance, education and community uses.
Key elements reported about the project include:
- A 19,000-square-foot community arts and education center
- A new studio theater with more than 150 seats
- Flexible, movable seating in the studio theater
- A $25 million fundraising campaign
- A location immediately south of the Otto M. Budig Theater
- Design by Cincinnati architecture firm GBBN
- Development on an existing surface parking lot
The company has not announced all final design and construction details.
The fundraising campaign will determine the project’s path toward construction. Further information about the schedule, construction timeline and final facility details could emerge as the campaign progresses.
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is currently accepting support through its official donation page, where it outlines ways donors can support its artistic, educational and community programs.
The proposed expansion would give the company additional room for those activities while keeping its operations centered in Over-the-Rhine.
The project also would add a new performance venue to Cincinnati’s existing arts landscape.
For residents, the development could eventually mean more space for theater productions, educational programs and community events in the heart of the city’s historic arts district.
FAQs
What is the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company planning?
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company plans to build a 19,000-square-foot community arts and education center in Over-the-Rhine. The project would expand the company’s existing campus near Washington Park.
How much will the Cincinnati arts center cost?
The company has launched a $25 million fundraising campaign for the project. The campaign is intended to support construction of the new community arts and education facility.
Where will the new Cincinnati arts center be located?
The proposed facility would be built immediately south of the Otto M. Budig Theater on Elm Street. The site is currently a surface parking lot operated by 3CDC.
What will the new arts center include?
The facility is planned to include a studio theater with more than 150 seats and flexible seating. It will also provide additional space for arts education and community programming.
