It's been almost 14 years in the making, but
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church debuted its multi-level banquet hall and cultural center this week.
The Plateia, which means ‘town square’ in Greek, aims to be the anchor of Greektown, says
Jason Fillippou, director of the
Greektown Community Development Corporation.
An approximately $3 million investment, the funds for the project were raised through community donations, major philanthropies, a series of fundraisers, and public-backed loans, Fillippou says.
The center, owned and operated by St. Nicholas, is located at 701-703 S. Ponca St.
Greektown Community Development Corp. will assist the church with programming and promotion.
So far, only the first floor, which has a standing-room capacity of 300, is open. The upstairs will be completed soon and seats 500. The Plateia also features a large outdoor arena with a stage to hold outdoor concerts.
The focus of the center will be on community outreach and programs for the local community including cooking, language, and computer classes.
The center plans to partner with local schools to showcase student art, as well as host events such as concerts and poetry readings. Fillippou hopes the center will be the hub for arts and culture in Greektown and expects the project to attract new investment in the community by bringing in new prospective homeowners and parishioners.
The church purchased the land on Ponca Street in 1984, and initially held a groundbreaking for the project in 2000.
Source: Jason Fillippou, Executive Director, Greektown Community Development Corp.
Writer: Alexandra Wilding,
[email protected]