The doors of the newly remodeled lobby of the Chattanooga Theatre Centre will open Sunday afternoon for a dedication ceremony renaming the space the Melvin Asher Young Lobby.
The $20,000 renovation is a gift to the CTC from the late Mr. Young’s family and the numerous acquaintances who enjoyed his friendship.
At the time of Mr. Young’s death in November, wife Sonia Young and daughter Melanie Young named the CTC as one of four beneficiaries to which donations could be made in lieu of flowers. More than 200 donors sent gifts to the theater in memory of the longtime arts patron.
“I didn’t know what to do for him, but I knew it had to be something for this community, and this (the Theatre Centre) is what we’ve been associated with the longest,” Mrs. Young said.
“The lobby looked so shabby with the wallcovering peeling off. George (Quick) and I were talking about how it needed to be done over, and I said I might have an idea,” she recalls.