It's been a long time coming, but soon enough, the Penn Theater is going to reopen, and the hope is for it to happen in time to ring in 2024.

In the Friday edition of the Butler Eagle, we learned that the theater's owners, Bryan and Marina Frenchak, plan to have renovations to the nearly 90-year-old venue finished in time for a New Year's Eve party with an apt 1930s flair. The couple shared their excitement about the project as they were honored Thursday with the 20th Community Champion Award by Butler County Chamber of Commerce for their work revitalizing a downtown icon.

Designed by New York architect James E. Casale and built by Miller & Dumbaugh, construction on the $125,000 theater began in September 1937. From its opening in April 1938 until its closure in 1991, Penn Theater was fixture on Main Street.

Since then it has sat empty.

The city bought the theater in 2009, hoping to find funding and renovate it, but the building continued to deteriorate as efforts stalled. In November 2022, the Frenchaks bought the property. The following spring, they started a full renovation of the building, focusing on keeping the historic exterior while creating a modern interior.

“We want to keep the façade the way it was,” Bryan Frenchak said Thursday while accepting the award. “It's vintage on the outside, but when you get inside, it's more contemporary.”

The estimated cost for the project is $1.5 million, and Bryan Frenchak said he thinks the project is between 80% and 90% complete. The audio system is going in now, and volunteers are creating acoustic panels for the walls.

There is a lot of excitement about what the reopening of the theater could mean for downtown Butler — and that's understandable.

What needs to come next is up to the entire community. Bryan Frenchak understands that, and said so Thursday.

“We need you to all be there and support it,” he told the crowd.

We hope the enthusiasm about this project translates into support for the venue and continued revitalization of downtown.

— JK