A prominent Harvard donor is building an independent theater in Harvard Square that could ease the space crunch for theater groups at Harvard and in Cambridge.

Gregory C. Carr, a Kennedy School of Government alumnus and founder of Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, confirmed yesterday that that he has purchased 89 Winthrop Street, which formerly housed Grendel's Restaurant.

He said he has spent "several million" dollars to purchase the building and begin construction on what he says will be a "multi-use theater" owned and operated by the Carr Foundation, a human-rights organization.

The theater space will be used for professional theater performances, collaborations with the American Repertory Theatre (ART) and possibly undergraduate use, as well as public events sponsored by the Car Foundation, such as the group's human rights film series.

The theater will open in March 2001, he said.

While the theater has no formal connection to Harvard, undergraduate performers could benefit from its opening.

"We'd be delighted to have student activity from time to time," Carr said.

Carr, a former Quincy House non-resident tutor, came up with the idea for the theater in March, after working with the ART on a human-rights theater project. He enjoyed the experience-and then he wandered by the Grendel's site, and noticed it was empty.

Carr said his decision to found the theater is unrelated to last spring's announcement that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences would take control of the Hasty Pudding's theater space. But it may provide a boon to the ART, which used to hold performances in the Hasty Pudding building and may perform in the new space.

Rob Orchard, director of the Loeb Drama Center and the managing director of the ART, said the ART was contacted by Carr to "help program the space from a theatrical point of view," Orchard said.

Carr said that Grendel's Den, a bar currently in the building's basement, will remain there as a tenant. The theater will be on the first floor. The second floor will be dedicated to rehearsal space and the third floor will house theater offices.

Orchard characterized the space as "intimate...along the lines of a cabaret space."

Orchard said he would like to see the ART, the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training and the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club collaborate in the new theater.

"Different groups can mix it up together," he said.

He said he has asked Justin M. Krebs '00 to consider coordinating a series of performances by undergraduate improvisational groups an example of the collaboration he hopes the space will promote.

Such cooperation has been difficult with the currently available spaces, he said.

"This will be a very exciting space for Harvard Square," Orchard said. "It can absorb a lot of talent and energy from a variety of constituents from the undergraduate to the professional level."

Demolition of the theater's interior is already complete. Carr declined to estimate the cost of the project, saying that architectural plans are not yet finished.

College administrators-including Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 and Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71-said yesterday they were unaware of the construction of Carr's theater.

Alan P. Symonds '69, the technical director for College theater programs, said he had "heard some rumors" about such a theater. According to Symonds, it wouldn't be the first time the building housed a stage: pre-1965, Pi Eta--a fraternity--had a theater in the same building.

Carr plans to offer $1,000 to the person who suggests the best name for the theater.