Groundbreaking Set for Liberty Station’s Jacobs Performing Arts Center

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center is set for Tuesday at Liberty Station.

It’s been more than a year since the NTC Foundation and Cygnet Theatre announced that they were partnering to renovate the historic Naval Building 178, which will become the Cygnet’s new home.

The project will restore historic elements of the building’s facade, as well as adding theater and support spaces, among other enhancements.

Mayor Todd Gloria is scheduled to speak at the groundbreaking.

The project, estimated at $38.9 million when it was announced in November 2022, received support from lead donors Irwin Jacobs, Qualcomm’s founder, along with his wife Joan Jacobs, who will lend their names to the arts center. 

It is about a year behind schedule as officials initially expected to break ground last spring with hopes to open late in 2024. At the time of the project unveiling, the partners said they had raised 77% of the necessary funding.

Lisa Johnson, NTC Foundation President and CEO called the planned center “a true anchor tenant for our campus and community.”

Building 178, built in 1942, is one of 26 historic buildings under the stewardship of the NTC Foundation.

The Cygnet, founded in 2002, has long made its home in Old Town.