Photo: Mike Rehm
June 6, 2015Good news! Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is now taking bids, and expects to accept one this week, to repair the abandoned Penn Theater's marquee and façade.
The foundation has allocated $30,000 for the project, likely to start this month, said Dave Farkas, director of the foundation's Main Street projects.
Read more: About the revival.
13 comments:
They brought back the Pioneer Drive In. It's high time for the Penn.
Bring it back,for what?
And the cost to redo the inside????
For those of you who are against this plan -- We lost the Butler Theater, the Capitol Theater and the Majestic Theater. The least we can to save something of Old Butler is to save this one.
Maybe they can put a Wal-Mart there.
I remember the Butler Theater which burned down. I also remember the Majestic Theater, but where was the Capital Theater?
To Anonymous-if you click on theaters on the right side of the screen, it will show you a photograph and give you the location of that theater.
It will be nice to see the exterior repaired. One less decaying building on Butler's Main Street. Does anyone know if there are plans and funds to restore the interior? We remember there being two theater rooms inside. The one upstairs was always referred to as "a fire trap".
Typical Butler, gussy up the façade and call it a jewel
City inspection shows many deficiencies at Penn Theater
The city has issued a letter to its redevelopment authority outlining numerous structural deficiencies with the former Penn Theater on Main Street.
Art Cordwell, executive director of the authority, informed the board that he received the letter Thursday.
“It was pretty condemning for the building,” Cordwell said.
John Evans, city building code official, said in an interview that the report indicates cracks in the structure’s masonry, the bricks in the walls are shifting, water damage in the interior, numerous electrical violations and a lack of utilities.
Evans said the vacant building was not posted as condemned, but said it was unsafe for occupancy.
The inspection of both the inside and outside of the building was done July 31 and Aug. 12 at the request of Mayor Tom Donaldson.
“I asked them to look into it to make sure we don’t get another Woolworth’s,” Donaldson said, referencing the former Woolworth’s store at the corner of East Cunningham and South McKean streets that collapsed in 1999 after sitting vacant for years.
Evans said the roof of the structure is leaking, which has caused the other issues to worsen.
“It’s often a kiss of death whenever a roof is leaking, and its roof is leaking,” Evans said.
Cordwell said he is not sure what the next step will be for the authority.
“It would be very costly to bring it up to code,” Cordwell said.
Authority solicitor Tom Breth said the authority must respond to the city’s letter by Sept. 2, although he did not yet know what that response would be.
City inspection shows many deficiencies at Penn Theater
The city has issued a letter to its redevelopment authority outlining numerous structural deficiencies with the former Penn Theater on Main Street.
Art Cordwell, executive director of the authority, informed the board that he received the letter Thursday.
“It was pretty condemning for the building,” Cordwell said.
John Evans, city building code official, said in an interview that the report indicates cracks in the structure’s masonry, the bricks in the walls are shifting, water damage in the interior, numerous electrical violations and a lack of utilities.
Evans said the vacant building was not posted as condemned, but said it was unsafe for occupancy.
The inspection of both the inside and outside of the building was done July 31 and Aug. 12 at the request of Mayor Tom Donaldson.
“I asked them to look into it to make sure we don’t get another Woolworth’s,” Donaldson said, referencing the former Woolworth’s store at the corner of East Cunningham and South McKean streets that collapsed in 1999 after sitting vacant for years.
Evans said the roof of the structure is leaking, which has caused the other issues to worsen.
“It’s often a kiss of death whenever a roof is leaking, and its roof is leaking,” Evans said. Cordwell said he is not sure what the next step will be for the authority.
“It would be very costly to bring it up to code,” Cordwell said.
Authority solicitor Tom Breth said the authority must respond to the city’s letter by Sept. 2, although he did not yet know what that response would be.
Go inside the Penn Theater
Any chance for a "Go Fund Me" account to be started or it's repair?
Post a Comment