The group behind The Venue in High River is making an application for some substantial funding.

Lori Koehler says they're asking for $750,000 from Western Economic Diversification Canada.

"It's for the building itself, it's not like the other grant that we did, the Green and Inclusive Fund which also was a fair amount of money, that one was more specific with green and inclusive building," she explains.

The fund provides money to revitalize a community's downtown.

"If we are successful it will certainly go a long way to the design, to getting the final drawings in, getting the initial surveying done and the foundation hopefully," Koehler says.

The Venue is planned to be a 12,000 square foot, three-story building on 5 Avenue, housing arts and performing spaces.

It'll have a "black box" space and studio space for artists.

Koehler says the Summer Series has been going well on Saturdays during the months of July and August and this year they're working with the High River Youth Street Party through a grant from Alberta Mental Health.

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