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Renovation work begun on former Roxian Theater
posted by
CSWalczak
on
August 5, 2010 at 7:47 am
MCKEES ROCKS, PA — Andrew Hieber first had a vision for the reuse of the 1928 Roxian Theater in 2004, hoping to turn it into a concert venue, but the project proved far more complex than he first thought. After several delays and rethinkings of the project, work has now begun to turn the former movie theater into what may be the centerpiece of a revitalized entertainment area on Chartiers Avenue.
The plan is to open a side wall to create space for ticket booths and a new entrance, refurbish the main floor with a new bar area and removable seats, raise the stage for safety and better sightlines and replace the 285 balcony seats with 225 seats sized for modern rear ends. The building is also getting an elevator, new wiring, plumbing and ventilation systems, new bathrooms and new light and sound systems.
In all, the cavernous space — five floors on a 27,000-square-foot footprint — will be able to hold 1,500 for a concert, but also will be able to function café-style for banquets, receptions and smaller shows.
There is more in this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
