Milton and Tamar Maltz and the Maltz Family Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland have pledged an additional $18 million for a new performing arts center at Case Western Reserve University.

Combined with a gift of $12 million from the couple in 2010 to purchase the property, the new commitment boosts to $30 million the Maltzes' support for the project, which will transform the landmark Temple-Tifereth Israel into a 145,000-square-foot performing arts space. Originally budgeted at just under $26 million, project costs have ballooned to more than $60 million as architects realized that more extensive renovations and additions would be required. The updated plan for the center includes restoration of the Silver sanctuary as a lecture and concert hall and construction of a proscenium theater, a "black box" studio space, a recital hall, rehearsal spaces, costume and set shops, and academic offices for the university’s departments of dance, theater, and music.

To date, CWRU has raised $59.3 million of the project's estimated $64 million cost. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed in 2016.

"[The Maltzes] were among the first to recognize the immense promise of this project, and helped inspire so many others to follow their example," said Case Western Reserve president Barbara R. Snyder. "Their willingness to increase their own commitment so dramatically is just one example of their extraordinary dedication to this effort."

"It has been our dream to see this beautiful space given new life and meaning as a home for theater, music, and dance students, even as it continues to host major religious observances," the couple said in a statement. "The plan combines state-of-the-art technology with deep respect for the structure’s history and grandeur. We simply cannot wait to see it open."