Chattooga County Commissioner Blake Elsberry spoke with WZQZ News this week about the progress at the county-owned Tooga Theater in downtown Summerville.

Commissioner Elsberry said that some painting has been done at the theater and that the county is still waiting on windows to come in.  Workers are repairing glass blocks work above the windows at the the theater.  Elsberry said that grant-money from the Fox Theater Foundation was being used for the ongoing project.  That grant was a non-matching grant, which meant that no county funds would have to be used to receive the money.

Commissioner Elsberry said that he is applying for state funding to help complete the total renovation of the building.

Once completed, Elsberry plans to have the Chamber of Commerce relocated to the building and to manage the use of the building for the county government.  Elsberry said that his vision is for the Tooga to be a functional theater for the arts, but also to serve as a meeting place for community-related functions.