Penn Theater purchaser lays out potential plans
When Butler City Council voted to condemn the Penn Theater at its Oct. 27 meeting, Mayor Bob Dandoy said the only way the theater could be saved, with all of its structural issues, would be for someone to purchase it and begin fixing it in a timely manner.
Bryan Frenchak, a former Butler resident who now lives in Houston, is in the process of purchasing the theater from its owners, the Butler Redevelopment Authority, and said he plans to schedule contractors to begin roof repairs as soon as Dec. 20.
Brian McCafferty, chairman of the Butler Redevelopment Authority, said Frenchak approached the board in August to begin purchasing talks. Soon, the board gave a tour of the theater to the business owner.
“It was structurally sound, but it did need repairs in the back and the roof,” Frenchak said. “It's probably going to cost a few million to renovate it and get it to work.”
Frenchak said it could be at least a year before the theater is ready for occupants, but he plans to turn it into a “multi-use venue.” In addition to fixing the building’s structural problems, Frenchak said he plans to rework the seating inside and revamp the screens.
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