Board members from the Penn Theater Trust recently visited two Western Pennsylvania theaters to research other revitalization projects as they develop a plan for the development of Butler's Penn Theater on Main Street.

Board members Chuck Davey, Jeff Smith and Bob Dandoy first met with Ron Carter of the Strand Theater in Zelienople.

Davey and Dandoy then were joined by board members Becky Veith and Jim Cunningham and Butler Downtown Manager Becky Smith for a visit to Franklin, where they met the Barrow Civic Theatre board and the engineers involved in that theater's renovation.

"The Penn Trust board doesn't need to reinvent the wheel as we move forward with our plans. We've learned a great deal from these visits," said Davey, Penn Trust board president, in a news release.

Through the visits and research, the board wants to get information about challenges faced by other organizations in their renovation projects.

"While remembering and learning from history and efforts, we're choosing to call this a new starting point," said Dandoy, the Penn Theater board secretary.

"Community members should know that, although the theater building may be sitting idle for a while, there is much activity and energy being generated for this project."

The group, in conjunction with the Redevelopment Authority of Butler County, said it will meet in June to develop a plan and a capital campaign for revitalizing the Penn Theater.