The War Memorial's flood-damaged basement theater in Grosse Pointe Farms is getting a renovation estimated at $6.5 million, with work expected to begin the week of Oct. 12, according to an Oct. 13 Detroit Free Press report.

Fred Alger, the great-nephew of Russell and Marion Alger, whose former home became The War Memorial, donated $6 million to rebuild the former Patriot Theater, which has sat empty since storm flooding destroyed it in June 2021, the Detroit Free Press reported. The redesigned 200-seat venue will be renamed the Veronica Alger Theater in honor of Alger's wife.

War Memorial President and CEO Maria Miller told the Free Press that several feet of water flooded the orchestra pit during the 2021 storm. The theater had already been shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic a year earlier.

Miller estimates the nine-month project will cost about $6.5 million total. Alger's $6 million gift covers the theater itself. The remaining $500,000, to be raised separately, will fund lobby renovations and concessions.

The new theater will seat up to 200, with 182 fixed and loose seats plus box seats on either side. The renovated space will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and feature improved acoustics, Miller said.

Programming is expected to begin in fall 2027, including films, live performances, lectures and community events, Miller told the Free Press. The War Memorial’s September announcement anticipated a summer 2027 opening and announced a Sept. 22 groundbreaking ceremony. Miller said she also envisions comedy sketches and a space where independent filmmakers can debut their work.

"Our focus was always, we wanted to bring it back," Miller said.

Veronica Alger, a former actress, said in comments provided to the Free Press that she shares her husband's desire to support cultural centers in the communities where they live. She called the theater essential to the community's identity.

Alger, founder of Alger Management, previously donated $20 million for the Fred M. Alger Center, a cultural facility on the campus that opened in November 2022, according to The War Memorial.

The Free Press noted that Grosse Pointe Park offers movie screens in one of its resident-only parks.

Miller described The War Memorial as part of a Jefferson-Lakeshore arts corridor that includes the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores.