Work on the former Penn Theater this summer will include redecking the marquee.

A portion of the former Penn Theater’s facade on Main Street will be renovated this summer.

The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, which holds the mortgage on the building, already has repaired the former theater’s roof and is beginning to repair the front of the structure.

“We’re looking to restore the lower facade of the theater and refinish the entryway tile,” said David Farkas, director of Main Street Programs for the foundation.

Farkas said work taking place through the summer will include re-decking the marquee.

“The building will look a heck of a lot better than it does now,” Farkas said.

Pittsburgh History and Landmarks has been making physical improvements in downtown Butler for the past several years.

Last year, the organization renovated the surface parking lot at the corner of North Main and Locust streets. The year before that, it added new signs, lighting and benches in the area of North Main and Penn streets.

“We wanted to create a gateway entrance to the north side of town,” Farkas said of that work.

He said the funding that has typically gone to those improvement projects will go to the theater this year.

“The reason we’ve put funds to the Penn Theater is to improve the appearance of Main Street,” Farkas said.

The city redevelopment authority bought the Penn Theater in 2009 using the foundation’s loan program.

However, the authority has been unable to make the mortgage payments on the building, and the property is back in the hands of the foundation.

Farkas said the foundation has had multiple people express interest in potentially buying or renting the theater, but he did not elaborate on the status of those talks.

“Hopefully we can find an investor to put in funds for the inside,” he said.

Mayor Tom Donaldson also said he has had preliminary talks with a businessman who may be interested in renovating the building.

Farkas said the building and the marquee are structurally sound.

Farkas did not say how much the foundation would devote to the theater this year.

“It’s a little preliminary to talk about that,” he said. “But the lower facade will look different.”