Stillwater’s Zephyr Theatre building to become Manitou Fund Arts and Education Center

The former Zephyr train depot will become an arts and education center run by the White Bear Lake-based charitable organization the Manitou Fund, the organization announced. Specific plans for programming at the newly created Manitou Fund Education and Arts Center have not yet been announced.

The fund bought the building in April of 2023 from the Zephyr Theatre organization, which had collapsed amid spiraling debts and allegations of financial wrongdoing. After the sale, the Zephyr has continued to offer programming, including a Sept. 15 play at the Stivland farm in Stillwater. Despite the name, the organization is no longer affiliated with the former train depot.

After purchasing the building, the Manitou Fund launched a multimillion dollar renovation and made it the temporary home of the K-5 River Grove charter school for six months starting last fall. The school was expected to stay longer but an unexpected opportunity arose last year when the Wilder Forest, some 600 acres of pristine May Township land, became available for sale. The Manitou Fund purchased the land in October and the forest-based school has since moved there.

The conversion from a school to an arts center required a zoning amendment to allow “libraries, art galleries, theaters for the performing arts, and other such cultural facilities” within the city’s central business district; it also required a change to allow its use as an event center by conditional use permit. The City Council granted both on Aug. 20 after a brief discussion about parking: the site comes with 51 spaces, including four accessible spots. The city’s minimum standard required at least 42 spots for the theater.

The building comes with nine classrooms that the Manitou Fund anticipates using for visual and performing arts classes; staff office areas; restrooms; a reception area; a food preparation room, and a performance space with seating for 130.