Deal closed, Penn Theater under construction
A redesign of the Penn Theater is in the works now that a deal has been closed between its buyer and the nonprofit foundation that held a loan on the historic landmark.
Bryan Frenchak, a former Butler resident who lives in Houston, closed on an agreement to buy the theater from Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation the day before Thanksgiving. He said he agreed to pay $65,000 for the theater, and already has crews in the wings to work on the building.
“We’re planning a redesign of the theater to be a mixed-use type of venue,” Frenchak said. “It’ll make it more interactive, and we might have concerts a few nights a month, some comedy shows.”
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, the lending arm of Landmarks Community Capital Corporation, lent the Butler Redevelopment Authority $290,000 to buy the building in 2009. On Nov. 10, the authority voted unanimously to accept a $65,000 offer from Frenchak to buy the building.
Brian McCafferty, chairman of the redevelopment authority, said the entity will pay the remaining year’s taxes on the building.
According to Frenchak, the roof of the Penn Theater is the first target for renovations, but crews soon will move to the building’s interior to redesign the space. Frenchak said the plans include installing “innovative lighting and sound” that will “be a step above what else is around the area.”
He also said some of the major structural work will take place in January and February, and crews will work on utilities after that.
“Our hopes are maybe by September, we can get things up and running,” Frenchak said.
