December 2016
Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities
Cupcake Wars
Alyssa Lamphere, 13, of Greenfield Junior High, takes her best shot in the school’s fifth annual competition. Page 16
Heritage District improvements in the works
Hale Centre Theatre thrives from humble beginnings
BY SRIANTHI PERERA
BY SRIANTHI PERERA
In 14 years of operation, Hale Centre Theatre has placed a huge footprint in Gilbert. The 11,000-square-foot theater with a 3,000-square-foot space where props are built, 2,000-square-foot space where costumes are stored and Hale Centre Theatre draws crowds to Heritage District. two warehouses totaling 8,000 square feet where props and sets are stored, have grown to be iconic in the Heritage District. “In my house, I had rooms for props, shelves for costumes, and we rehearsed in the living room,” owner David Dietlein said of his early days. The gamble that the California transplant took in Gilbert has paid off. Dietlein thought it to be the most appropriate city in the Valley for his family-style shows with its downtown—albeit needing a little SEE PAGE 4 work—as the best possible venue.
HALE CENTRE THEATRE
While the vibrancy and success of the Heritage District in downtown Gilbert has been well documented, town officials say its development is an ongoing process. Accordingly, Gilbert is working to update the Heritage District Redevelopment Plan by 2018. The district was established in 1991 and has been updated a few times. The Heritage District, approximately 250 acres comprising the original town site, envelopes the expanse north of Gilbert Historical Museum
SEE
HERITAGE DISTRICT PAGE 6
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Visitors may look forward to an even more vibrant Heritage District after Gilbert completes improvements.
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