The Winnetka Community House needs $2.8 million from the public to finish a $10 million renovation of its 115-year-old theater and Legacy Building.

The nonprofit at 620 Lincoln Ave. launched the public phase of its Always Home Campaign at an event Tuesday, Sept. 29, as first reported by The Record North Shore. Private fundraising has already brought in $7.2 million, including a $2 million anchor gift from Carol Hansen and her late husband, Jim, who are the campaign's honorary co-chairs.

Hansen, who served as a costumer for about 20 shows at the Community House and held her daughter's wedding reception there, spoke at the kickoff.

"This is the place to be. This is the place to help," Hansen said. "It's a little piece of magic, and we could use all your help."

The theater in Matz Hall is the centerpiece of the project. Plans call for new flooring, flexible seating, updated lighting and sound, stage and green room improvements, and modernized HVAC and electrical systems. Accessibility upgrades are part of every phase.

Beyond the theater, the renovation will expand the theater gallery with a new fireplace and seating area. The Pine Street entrance will be redesigned as an ADA-compliant entry with a weather-protective portico. Plans also call for a new kitchen, an updated elevator, a new fire safety system, and replacement of windows and bathrooms.

Amy Skalinder, president and CEO of the Community House, called the campaign a "once-in-a-generation effort to revitalize" the oldest part of the campus. She said there is no timeline yet for when construction will begin. That depends on how fundraising goes.

The Community House was founded in 1911 as an outreach project of the Winnetka Congregational Church and became an independent nonprofit in January 1932. The Tudor Revival building, designed by architect Arthur Coffin, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Winnetka Historical Society has described it as the first community center in the country built solely for community purposes.

The building is home to the North Shore Art League, the Junior League of Evanston/North Shore, the Children's Theater of Winnetka, and the Village Follies, among other organizations. It does not receive tax dollars.

Pledges to the Always Home Campaign are accepted over a three-to-five-year period. Residents can learn more at mycommunityhouse.org/alwayshome.