CHESTER SPRINGS, PA — SALT Performing Arts is seeking $2 million to purchase the West Pikeland Township property it occupies after officials moved to sell the site without requiring a buyer to honor the theater’s existing occupancy agreement, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The fundraising campaign marks a shift in strategy for the Chester Springs nonprofit, which previously considered purchasing the property financially impractical after investing approximately $400,000 in renovations.
Three community members involved with SALT organized the campaign with the theater’s support, seeking to raise enough money to compete for the property at 1645 Art School Road before the township’s public bidding period closes in early December.
An anonymous donor has pledged to match contributions up to $50,000. The campaign raised more than $22,000 during its first day, according to The Inquirer’s reporting, while a subsequent headline update placed contributions above $60,000.
The property includes SALT’s theater, West Pikeland’s municipal offices and a separate building housing the township police department.
Township supervisors voted to solicit bids for the property as part of a plan to relocate municipal operations and expand police facilities at 1001 Kimberton Road.
The sale creates uncertainty for SALT because the township’s bidding documents do not require the eventual purchaser to maintain the theater’s existing license agreement.
Under that agreement, signed in 2023, SALT invested approximately $400,000 in capital improvements in exchange for 10 years of occupancy at a fixed rental rate.
Township officials have maintained that they did not anticipate selling the property when the agreement was executed.
Although SALT has a right of first refusal, the theater faces the prospect of competing for a property with a reported minimum asking price of $2 million.
SALT President Lauren McComas told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the organization initially hesitated to pursue a purchase because years of fundraising for renovations had already strained its resources.
Community members involved in theater productions and educational programs subsequently organized the acquisition campaign, with donations ranging from less than $10 to $5,000.
“We’re trying to engage the power of the people to move a mountain,” McComas told The Inquirer. “If we link arms on this, and if everybody were to give what they can, it could save SALT.”
The proposed acquisition would allow SALT to retain its existing performance venue while potentially expanding into portions of the property currently occupied by township government.
McComas described plans to convert the municipal office and meeting space into a black-box theater, creating room for smaller productions and plays beyond the organization’s existing musical programming.
The police department’s current building could become a costume department capable of serving other theaters and schools.
SALT is also considering improvements to its box-office facilities and additional partnerships with community organizations.
“We definitely have a vision to make full use of all the spaces that exist there, if we are permitted that opportunity,” McComas told The Inquirer.
The organization has operated in Chester Springs since 2014 and reports staging 90 main-stage productions while involving more than 14,000 children in its educational arts programs.
Its community partnerships include Acting Antics, an all-abilities theater organization; the Chester County Food Bank; the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County; and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
SALT has also arranged transportation for unhoused veterans to attend private holiday performances, providing meals and essential supplies as part of those events.
The fundraising effort could support the theater even if it does not acquire the property.
McComas indicated that money raised would provide a financial reserve to pursue relocation or other organizational options if another bidder purchases the site.
Historic Yellow Springs, which previously owned the property, has expressed interest in preserving the site’s cultural role but indicated that an independent purchase is beyond its financial capacity.
In a social media statement cited by The Inquirer, the organization explained that it lacks the resources “necessary to meet the reported minimum asking price of $2 million along with the operating and maintenance expenses associated with such a large historic building.”
Historic Yellow Springs also expressed willingness to explore a collaborative arrangement involving SALT, the township and public or private partners.
The property’s disposition is tied to West Pikeland’s broader municipal facilities plan.
The township expects to close Nov. 13 on the purchase of 1001 Kimberton Road, where it intends to relocate and expand its police department.
West Pikeland has already committed approximately $400,000 toward the new property’s down payment and due diligence expenses.
Officials intend to apply proceeds from the Art School Road sale toward the cost of the replacement facility.
The relocation follows a 2025 community vote to retain the township’s police department rather than disband it.
Both the proposed purchase and the sale of the existing municipal property have generated opposition from residents, who raised concerns during a recent public meeting that lasted several hours.
For SALT, the immediate financial challenge is raising enough money to pursue ownership before the township completes its bidding process.
The outcome will determine whether the organization can remain at its established Chester Springs location as a property owner or must explore alternatives for its future operations.
Donations to SALT’s acquisition campaign can be made at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/salt-unshaken
For additional reporting on the fundraising effort, township property sale and SALT’s plans, read the full Philadelphia Inquirer article at https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/salt-performing-arts-west-pikeland-20261110.html
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