$45 Million Schaap Center Set to Welcome Visitors in Grosse Pointe this November

This November marks the debut of a new arts hub in Grosse Pointe Park. The $45 million A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Center opens its doors with a matinee on November 30. A grand gala follows on December 3.

At Jefferson Avenue and Alter Road stands the 49,000-square-foot structure. Inside, visitors will find a 435-seat theater and the Richard and Jane Manoogian Art Gallery. Local arts groups, from the Detroit Concert Choir to the Grosse Pointe Symphony Orchestra, will call this space home.

"If you love the arts, you've got to provide a home for it," said Paul Schaap, who contributed $30 million to build the center, per Detroit News. "We don't have the kind of home that this is... We have the big houses downtown, but that's not this. This is a community venue."

The stage comes alive with state-of-the-art features. A trap door sinks below, while rigging soars overhead. Musicians will play in a hydraulic pit, their sound shaped by movable acoustic panels. A prized 9-foot Steinway & Sons Model D piano awaits its first notes.

"It provides continuity for our performers and members, and most importantly, it provides continuity for our audiences and our devoted patrons," said Grosse Pointe Theatre President Danielle Caralis.

Starting in 2026, the stage will host shows by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Opera, and Mosaic Youth Theatre. The Detroit Institute of Arts joins this creative mix, bringing fresh talent to the suburbs.

Art lovers can visit the 1,300-square-foot Manoogian Gallery twice monthly on Saturdays. The space showcases rotating works from the family's American art collection. Seniors and students get free Monday visits by appointment.

The path to opening day wasn't smooth. Legal snags with Detroit and Wayne County over permits slowed progress. Water drainage issues needed fixes. Yet the project pushed forward, raising $43 million for construction and $6 million toward future operations.

Music and dance fill the opening schedule. Then comes "White Christmas" by Grosse Pointe Theatre in December. Staff and vendor jobs will open soon.

Executive Director Jaime Rae Turnbull sees the center as a bridge. "It brings together program partners that wouldn't normally have the opportunity to collaborate, and it also gives an affordable venue to organizations that have been without a home or home base," she said.