Our Renovation

Not yet. The Glove has been named to receive up to $1.993 million through Gloversville's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and $2 million through New York State's Restore NY program — nearly $4 million combined. But both are reimbursement grants. Think of it like a mail-in rebate: you buy the item and pay full price yourself first, then mail in your receipt and wait — sometimes months — for a check back. It works the same way here. We have to spend the money ourselves, on contractors and materials, before the state pays us back. As of today, The Glove hasn't received a dollar of either award.

It's an understandable mix-up. As part of our grant applications, we asked the City of Gloversville to pass a resolution formally supporting them — a routine step, and public record. That resolution got picked up in local reporting, and headlines about "millions in grant funding" made it sound like the money had already changed hands. It hasn't.

No. Every dollar of this grant funding comes from New York State, not the City. The City's role was to formally support our applications with a council resolution, not to fund us directly. The one financial benefit we receive from the City is our property tax exemption, standard for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — not cash.

These are different kinds of grants for different kinds of projects. The funding named to The Glove is specifically earmarked for historic preservation and arts/cultural facilities — it legally can't be redirected to road repair or retail recruitment. Funding for those other needs exists too, through different programs, and the City can pursue it separately.

Ticket revenue covers what it costs to put on a show: performers, staff, production. It's not extra capital sitting around — most shows barely cover their own cost. The capital campaign is a separate, dedicated effort to fund the physical restoration and expansion of the building.

Private fundraising has to come first. Both awards can be drawn down in installments — roughly four tranches of about $500,000 each per grant — so we don't need the full $4 million in hand to start. Realistically, we need enough private capital on hand (ideally around $1 million to start comfortably) to pay contractors and keep the work moving while a given reimbursement is in process, since those cycles run 30 to 90 days. Private gifts are what let construction begin at all, and what keep it moving between reimbursements.

Historic restoration has to happen in sequence. Before we can touch plaster or walls, decisions have to be finalized — where new HVAC systems will run, what materials replace deteriorated finishes, how it all affects accessibility and code compliance building-wide. Jumping ahead on visible repairs without that planning risks expensive rework later. Our completed Master Plan exists to get that sequencing right the first time.

Yes. The Glove Theatre operates under Gloversville Theatre Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing (EIN 14-1787734). Our financials are public record (available via our IRS Form 990), and we're always glad to walk anyone through them directly.