The 100-year-old historic Salvation Army Citadel building, located on Parliament Street just south of Dundas, has been transformed into a renewed and upgraded performance space for CLC as well as a centre for dance aimed at the Regent Park community.
Built in 1912, The Citadel was used for decades as a soup kitchen by the Salvation Army. In 2007, Coleman and Lemieux decided to purchase the building for use as a rehearsal studio and performance venue. They found themselves in the middle of one of the most exciting urban renewals in the world.
Designed on a pro bono basis by the world-renowned Diamond Schmitt Architects, the building was completely gutted and renovated to house a new, 1,800 s.f. state-of-the-art dance studio and theatre seating 60-80 people, a 900 s.f. studio for rehearsals, yoga classes, workshop and community dance classes; and office space for CLC.
In the heart of Regent Park, it is part of the revitalization of the neighbourhood and will be home to CLC. CLC will offer weekly free dance classes, rentals for the dance community, affordable performances for the community and patrons of the arts and "pay-what-you-can" classes through its partnership with YogaBeat. Coinciding with the new developments in Regent Park, Coleman Lemieux is spearheading an artistic renaissance in the area, while preserving Regent Park's impressive spirit of community.