The Count Basie Theatre was constructed in 1925-1926 and opened under the name Carlton Theater as a 1,5000 seat vaudeville and movie venue.  Its interior is highly decorative and includes an elaborate domed ceiling.  The exterior was executed in a Classical Revivial style using white terra cotta and brick.  In addition to the main theater and lobby space, the building includes commercial storefronts extending along its main elevation.  After closing as a movie house, the theater became a cultural arts center in 1973, and in 2008, the interior underwent a $8 million award-winning rehabilitation.

The current grant will help fund exterior restoration including restoration of the distinctive terra cotta ornamentation.