Friday, October 16, 2026 | St. Lawrence County, NY
MASSENA — SeaComm has pledged $250,000 over the next 10 years to support programming and operations at the Massena Schine Theater.
In recognition of the gift, the theater will be known as the Massena Schine Theater: A SeaComm Community Arts Center through 2036.
The funding is separate from the theater’s “Unlock the Schine” capital campaign and will support events and performances after construction is complete. The Massena Arts and Theater Association board of directors will oversee the funds.
“We are proud to continue investing in Massena,” SeaComm President and CEO Scott Wilson said. “Our partnership from day one on this project, including the refurbishment 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 where we began.”
Wilson said SeaComm was pleased to see the project move forward and have its name associated with the theater.
“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 their mission,” Wilson said. “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.”
SeaComm also has supported the marquee restoration. The credit union worked with the Development Authority of the North Country and the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency to provide construction loan funding while grant reimbursements are pending.
“We are incredibly grateful to Scott and the entire SeaComm family for their belief in this project,” MATA President Allison Smith said. “We are proud to have the SeaComm name on the marquee and for their support in making this project a reality.”
The restoration project has gone out to bid, and the board is considering contractors. The capital campaign continues to raise funds to cover the gap between grant reimbursements and the cost of renovating the theater. MATA hopes to complete construction by mid-2027, depending on fundraising and construction schedules.
MATA, a nonprofit founded in 2013, purchased the former theater and has completed two phases of renovations, including asbestos removal and exterior facade restoration. The marquee was relighted in October 2025.
The “Unlock the Schine” campaign seeks to secure matching grants needed to complete interior construction and open the theater to the public.
Built in 1918, the Schine Theater was a focal point of downtown Massena through the 1980s. MATA hopes to restore it as a cultural center and help revitalize the downtown area. Plans include live music, classic films and community events.
MATA is governed by a board of directors and welcomes volunteers of all ages.
