2 buildings are donated for expansion of SCERA

OREM — The SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem will be expanding, thanks to the donation of two buildings through the Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation.

The deal, finalized Thursday, includes two buildings on two acres directly east of the SCERA center at 745 S. State, Orem.

SCERA will use one; the other will be a rental.

The former Teleperformance building will be used as a scene, prop and costume shop, and SCERA will lease out the All-State Building — both in the area of 300 E. 800 South.

Ray Noorda, the former Novell CEO, died Oct. 9. The Noorda family also recently donated $1 million to expand and renovate the Orem Fitness Center.

"The Noorda family has long supported the SCERA and the arts, and we are so grateful to them for their vision and generosity," said SCERA CEO Adam Robertson. "We could not have gotten a better Christmas present, and this donation helps us immeasurably."

The two donated facilities and property will expand the SCERA space by more than 50 percent, Robertson said.

The SCERA, built 1933 as a cultural arts provider, has not previously had a scene shop, leaving construction of scenery to be done on-stage or outside.

The addition of these buildings will allow the SCERA to keep some of their "speciality" set pieces and use them in future shows or rent them out, Robertson said.

The SCERA will begin using the facilities within a week.