LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new arts theater is breaking ground in west Louisville.

Plans were unveiled Friday for the new Grand Lyric Theater at 13th and West Muhammad Ali Boulevard. The 300-seat facility will become home to a youth arts education program, and it will be a place for community groups to use for rehearsals and performances.

The Louisville Central Community Center says it needs to raise $1 million to finish the state-of-the-art theater -- inside and out -- by the end of the year.

Part of the funding for the project was provided by U. S. Housing & Urban Development through its community development block grant to the city of Louisville. But organizers hope to raise more money to complete the theater. Support is needed for a main stage, lighting, sound, recording system, dressing rooms and storage.

Singers and dancers with the Tiny Tykes entertained those who attended the groundbreaking, including 11-year-old Chase Phillips.

"This is an amazing thing for the community," said Phillips. "These types of things impact my life, and all of the troops' lives and the Tiny Tykes."

Najiya Clayborn is a veteran performer who has played Dorothy in "Wiz" among other roles. The 14-year-old hopes the theater will help change how people view the neighborhood.

"West Louisville isn't just what everyone says it is," she said. "There are good parts in west Louisville. You have youth. You have talent. You have so many hard workers here."

IMAGES | Performers at the Grand Lyric Theater groundbreaking

The Grand Lyric Theater will be a cornerstone for the Muhammad Ali Arts Culture and Innovation district that developers hope will become known as "The Blvd."

According to the Louisville Central Community Centers, west Louisville was a hub for artists who went on to become professional entertainers, singers and jazz musicians from the 1940s to the 1960s. Supporters hope the Grand Lyric Theater will revitalize the Russell neighborhood between 6th and 15th Streets on Muhammad Ali Boulevard, which used to be known as Old Walnut Street.

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