CARY — Town officials and residents will gather Saturday to mark the beginning of work that will turn Cary’s first movie house into a downtown cinema and arts venue.

The building, at 122 E. Chatham St., was built in 1946 and used as a movie theater until the early 1960s. The town bought the building in July 2011 and plans to create a 181-seat performance space and build a new three-story addition in the vacant lot next door.

Last month, town officials projected that transforming the former movie theater into “The Cary” will cost about $6 million. Construction should take about 18 months, according to the town.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht will lead the groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday.