The Strand Theatre has stood on the first block of North Whiteoak Street in Kutztown for well over a century, its well-worn marquee a symbol of the borough’s long history.
Locals have been visiting the theater since it was first opened as Herman’s Playhouse in September 1912, catching a matinee movie or perhaps a Saturday double feature.
But that all nearly came to an end last year.
The theater closed after Paul Angstadt, a former Reading mayor and state legislator and longtime owner of the Strand, passed away in June. The movie house was in desperate need of renovations, and it appeared that without Angstadt at the helm that wouldn’t happen.
Just a month after Angstadt’s passing, the nonprofit Kutztown Community Partnership announced plans to purchase and refurbish the Strand. The plans, however, were contingent on getting grant funding to cover the cost.
Part of that grant funding was approved last year, with Berks County approving $270,013 in funding through the federal American Rescue Plan for the Strand project. And now a chunk of state funding has come through that will allow the revitalization of the Strand to move forward.
Last week the Commonwealth Financing Authority awarded $450,000 to the Greater Berks Development Fund to assist Kutztown Community Partnership, or KCP, with the rehabilitation and preservation of the theater.
The money from the state is generated through the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act of 2004, which provides for the distribution of gaming revenues to support projects in the public interest. Projects are only eligible if they are owned and maintained by a government agency or nonprofit organization.
On Monday, state Sen. Judy Schwank stopped by the Strand to celebrate its survival.
“This theater is such an asset to the community,” the Ruscombmanor Township Democrat said. “It seemed to make sense to restore this place as a community center of sorts. I’m really happy to see this happen — there were local advocates who were constantly cheering this on.”
Sandy Green, community liaison for the KCP, led Schwank on a tour of the theater.
She explained the vision for the future, such as adding a stage in the main screening room — with a seating capacity of 250 people — to host live entertainment; bringing the theater up to Americans With Disabilities Act standards; refurbishing the lobby and concessions area; and demolishing an attached garage to make way for an outdoor seating area.
Green said she’s not sure what the future may hold for the second screening room, which is located on the second floor and currently has a seating capacity of just 75 people.
But all of that will come later and be supported by fundraising drives.
In the meantime, other work will be done to make the Strand sound enough to be reopened. Some of the immediate improvements, which will be funded by the state grant, will include mechanical improvements to the heating and cooling system, a new roof and electrical upgrades.
Once that is done, KCP officials hope movie viewers will be able to once again take in a flick at the historic theater. Green said the Strand will likely show mainly independent and older films. Showing new movies is something that could be a possibility in the future, she added.
KCP President Allison Fuller said the organization is grateful and honored to have secured the funding needed to begin this first phase of the restoration. She thanked Schwank for advocating on their behalf for the grant and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance for helping to guide the application process.
But, she said, the project would not be a possibility without the support and passion of community members who expressed their desire to preserve this piece of local history.
“So now the journey begins,” she said. “We look forward to an exciting and new beginning.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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