A new
initiative spearheaded by Venango County's top economic development agency
could help breathe new life into some of historic theater buildings in Oil
City and Franklin.
Labeled as a
theater initiative along routes 8 and 62, the Oil Region Alliance of
Business, Industry and Tourism's project is trying to secure a $100,000
implementation grant from the state's Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources.
If the grant
is approved, owners or managers of Oil City's Drake, Lyric and Latonia
theater buildings, as well as Franklin's Barrow-Civic Theatre and former
Orpheum Theatre on Liberty Street, would have to match the money
dollar-for-dollar.
The project
stems from a 2004 effort headed by the Alliance and the former Venango
Economic Development Corp. that looked at buildings along the two-road
corridor, said Alliance President Randy Seitz.
"As we
undertook the study of the buildings and properties, obviously the
theaters stood out in that study," Seitz said. "We're seeking a lump sum
and working with current building owners to find an equitable
distribution."
The money
could be used for everything from fa‡ade improvements to stage rigging,
the president said, and a grant packet identifies several proposed uses
for the money.
Each theater
owner or manager has pledged at least $25,000 in private sector funding as
matching money for the project.
The fully
functional Barrow Theatre would use the grant money for fa‡ade
improvements at its main entrance and the adjacent entrance to its Little
Theatre, repoint brick, repair exterior tile flooring, repair exterior
display cases and repair ceramic and glass tiles.
"The part of
this building that is the most historic is, at this point, the fa‡ade,"
said John McConnell, the theater's general manager.
Drake Theater
personnel also have targeted exterior improvements for that building's fa‡ade
on Upper Seneca Street.
The grant
identifies Daniel and Jodi Robertson as Drake managers who are working in
conjunction with building owner Bruce Taylor.
"The Majestic
Drake Theatre is very excited about this grant opportunity," the
Robertsons wrote in a letter enclosed in the grant packet. "Receiving this
grant will greatly enhance our prospects with restoring the theatre's fa‡ade
back to its original grandeur by matching our personal funding of $25,000
toward this project."
The Drake
complex's theater has been closed since the 1990s after a brief habitation
by Community Playhouse Inc. Taylor believes reestablishing the 1928
showplace as a performance venue could do wonders for the downtown's
business climate.
"I just know
what this would do to the community. It would regenerate people coming
into the community," Taylor said. "If that theater is made so it's
comfortable and inviting ... it will absolutely develop downtown Oil
City."
With a
seating capacity that could reach 2,000, Taylor envisions initially
bringing three or four live shows each month - with an eventual goal of
six to eight live shows each month. The theater could create approximately
seven full-time positions and 10 part-time positions.
Taylor would
like to bring major names, touring shows and lectures to the theater.
"(People)
will patronize local businesses such as restaurants, convenience stores,
gas stations, hotels, etc., not only increasing sales for Oil City
businesses, but also for businesses along the entire Route 8 corridor.
This influx of people will also create a thriving downtown environment
giving entrepreneurs a reason to establish new businesses within the
city," according to Taylor's direct economic impact statement for the
theater.
"Dan
(Robertson) came to me and wanted to spearhead the revitalization of the
theater, and I gave him my plans of what I had planned to do with it,"
Taylor said. "He wanted to take those and run with them a bit."
Across town,
area residents Roxanne Hitchcock and Linda Henderson purchased the former
Latonia Theatre this spring.
A past
building owner split the old auditorium in half horizontally and the women
plan to use the upstairs area as a ballroom and performance space. But
money from the theater initiative grant would be used to restore the
building's curved staircases and oval mezzanine and surrounding space on
the first and second floors while bringing the space up to safety code
measures.
The ballroom
can seat approximately 500 people, with balcony space for another 400 to
500.
"The Latonia
is one of the finest art deco theatre buildings in the country," Hitchcock
and Henderson wrote in the grant packet. "It is currently one of the most
underutilized buildings in Oil City, poised to become one of this region's
most valuable resources."
Another Oil
City theater, the old Lyric, located along Seneca Street where the former
Ray L. Way menswear shop once stood, would use grant money to install
heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
The building
could accommodate 600 patrons in 1927, playing live shows and moving
pictures. Community Playhouse Inc. bought the building in 2001 and
volunteers gutted most of the old retail amenities, returning the space to
a cavernous theater. Once renovated, the venue could seat 214 people and
house an art gallery in its front lobby, according to the grant
application. A 2005 cost estimate pegs total restoration at $1.5 million.
The Oil
Region Alliance lists Jim and Janet Andres as owners of the old Orpheum
Theatre, located at 1275-1279 Liberty St. The application says they are
awaiting guidance from municipal officials and a preservation specialist
before narrowing on the project work.
"The Orpheum
property was converted long ago to retail stores, which have been vacant
for several years," the application says.
The Orpheum
was built in 1916 as a vaudeville theater. It could seat 750 people before
it closed in 1956. Later remodeling removed the raked auditorium floor and
balcony. An October 2005 cost estimate suggested $1.46 million would
stabilize and restore the theater.
Seitz said
the DCNR should announce its funding awards toward the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Alliance also is looking to the Pennsylvania Department of
Community and Economic Development for another $100,000 theater funding.
"Certainly,
we will continue to look at other sources," Seitz said. "We would just be
looking for something in the interim."
"If we're
successful in rehabilitation of all five theaters, that gives us the
ability to draw a large amount of people from several of these strategic
areas that we've targeted for weekend visitors," Seitz added.