With about $2.25 million to raise toward renovation costs, the State Theatre announced Monday that RE/MAX Centre Realty is giving a sizable donation to cover the costs of the theater's box office.

RE/MAX's donation covers the cost of putting in the ticket center and allows the theater to have an online ticketing option where patrons can order their tickets off the Internet. The box office will bear the name of the company for five years, he added.

Mike Negra, State Theatre CEO and president, said he is very excited to have RE/MAX as a partner, and the company has done a wonderful thing for the community through its donation.

RE/MAX, 1375 Martin St., chose not to disclose the exact amount of the donation.

"It is in the theater's best interest to let the public know when donors make sizable donations since it is a community project, but RE/MAX chose not to make the numbers public," John Hook, State Theatre executive director, said.

The total cost of renovating the State Theatre, 128 W. College Ave., into a community performing arts center is about $5 million. Fundraising has brought in about $3.9 million, but $2.25 million more is needed to open the center without debt, Hook said.

Scott Yocum, broker and co-owner of RE/MAX, said that each year, the company selects a cause to support and chose the State Theatre because of the historical aspects of the building and the many facets of theater and performance that it will bring downtown.

State College is unique in that successful businesses give back to the community, Yocum added.

More than 800 local individuals and companies have donated to the theater, but discussions to receive federal aid have not yet yielded any results, Hook said. "The state and local government has done a great job of being very supportive of the project," Hook said. "The federal government is the only area where we haven't received any appreciable money."

RE/MAX's donation was announced as Poole Anderson Construction works to achieve the goal of a November opening for the State Theatre.

"Overall, the construction is moving forward at a good pace," Negra said.

Bill Leidy, construction superintendent, said the crew is a little behind schedule because of unforeseen problems with the structure of the building.

"We plan on working diligently to make that time up," he added.

In the near future, the building's shell will be closed up, and masonry will be completed on the front of the building, Leidy said.