Massena Schine Theater: A SeaComm Community Arts Center

SeaComm has been an integral partner in restoring the Massena Schine Theater since the the very beginning.

  • SeaComm approved the mortgage for the building to be purchased by the Massena Arts and Theater Association.

  • SeaComm provided the gift that helped to restore the marquee and light up Main St. again.

  • SeaComm has worked with our public lenders to establish bridge financing for the renovation of the theater to happen while reimbursement grant s are processed.

Now, SeaComm is committing to the sustainability of the theater for the next decade by agreeing to name the theater, Massena Schine Theater: A SeaComm Community Arts Center with a commitment of $250,000 for programmatic support through 2036!

“We are proud to continue investing in Massena.  Our partnership from day one on this project to include the refurbishing of the marquee is an extension of what our Credit Union has done for the past 63 years through its ongoing support of the community in which we solidly began our humble foundation.  We couldn’t be more pleased to see the next phase of the project move forward and to have our name affiliated with it.”

“SeaComm is celebrating more than six decades of doing business in Massena, and is committed to ensuring that organizations such as the Massena Arts and Theater Association are able to fulfill its mission.  The Schine Theater, which at one time was the centerpiece of our downtown, will once again play a vital role in providing quality film, creative performances and events within its historic walls.”

-Scott Wilson, President and CEO of SeaComm

About The Partnership

Massena, NY - SeaComm has finalized an agreement to support the Massena Schine Theater for the next 10 years with a pledged gift of $250,000 to support programming and operations. In recognition of this gift, the theater will be known as the Massena Schine Theater: A SeaComm Community Arts Center through 2036.

This funding, separate from the capital campaign Unlock the Schine, has been designated to ensure that the Massena Schine Theater: A SeaComm Community Arts Center, is able to provide top-tier programming to the local community for the duration of the agreement. The Massena Arts and Theater Association Board of Directors will use the funding to support events and performances at the theater once construction is complete.

SeaComm President and CEO, Scott Wilson recently said, “We are proud to continue investing in Massena.  Our partnership from day one on this project to include the refurbishing of the marquee is an extension of what our Credit Union has done for the past 63 years through its ongoing support of the community in which we solidly began our humble foundation.  We couldn’t be more pleased to see the next phase of the project move forward and to have our name affiliated with it.”

“SeaComm is celebrating more than six decades of doing business in Massena, and is committed to ensuring that organizations such as the Massena Arts and Theater Association are able to fulfill its mission.  The Schine Theater, which at one time was the centerpiece of our downtown, will once again play a vital role in providing quality film, creative performances and events within its historic walls,” Wilson added.

In addition to providing programmatic support for the coming years, and support for the marquee restoration, SeaComm, along with the Development Authority of the North Country and St. Lawrence County IDA, have worked together to provide construction loan funding for the project while grants are reimbursed. 

“We are incredibly grateful to Scott, and the entire SeaComm family for their belief in this project. We are proud to have the SeaComm name on the marquee and for their support in making this project a reality,” Allison Smith, President of Massena Arts and Theater Association recently said.

The restoration project went out to bid and the board is still deciding on the contractor for the project. The capital campaign is still going and is looking for support to close the gap between the reimbursement grants, and the cost to renovate the theater. The board is hopeful that construction will be finished in the middle of 2027, pending fundraising efforts and construction schedules.