Old downtown Ohio Theatre may see new life

Marion Star

Pete Rife stands on the stage of the old Ohio Theatre, which closed in 1979. He has spent the last two weeks cleaning out the 121-year-old space with the hopes of it being restored.

MARION - The old Ohio Theatre on State Street is getting a new look and hopefully a new tenant this year.

The 121-year-old duplex, home to the Elks Lodge, has had a few tenants over the years. But the theater — occupying the bottom left half — has remained empty for decades while other buildings have been torn down or restored as part of an effort to revitalize downtown Marion.

The building’s owner wants to maintain the historical look of the exterior, but is looking for someone who can bring the interior up to 21st-century standards.

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Pete Rife, who has owned the building since 2015, has started the process of cleaning the space. He wants to lease it out.

It's been a busy two weeks for the longtime Marion resident. His days are occupied with removing the old red carpet that lays atop old tiled floors and scraping off decades-old adhesive.

He even had to hire a crew to remove the four dumpster loads of trash that accumulated in the theater since it closed in 1979.

Two man stand outside of theater on State Street in 1929. At the time it was know as the Grand Opera House.

"Right now, I am trying to find the right folks," Rife said. "What happens next, needs to be done correctly."

The theater originally opened in 1896 as The Grand Opera House. However it was gutted by a fire in 1910 and four years later it was rebuilt as the Alhambra Theatre.

On May 1, 1930 it was renamed the Ohio Theatre following renovations. An article from the Star at the time, described it as a place where Marion residents could enjoy the latest film, musical production or play.

It was eventually renamed Cinema Ohio in 1969 before closing its doors ten years later and has been vacant ever since.

Rife said that he envisions the space as a dinner theater, but said whoever takes up the project after him will have a lot of work on their hands.

"It is going to be a large investment, there is still a lot that needs to be done," he said. "To be honest, you are looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars. But that is not uncommon for a project this size."

Rife said he remembers seeing movies at the theater with his parents and has owned property in the downtown since the mid-1980s. He said the area has changed a lot since then.

"The downtown used to be the hub of the community," he said. "We are slowly putting the pieces back together."

The effort has seen more traction within the past five years, according to Downtown Marion, Inc., a non-profit that was formed with the purpose of building up the area.

The theater has been vacant for more than forty years. Pete Rife, who bought the building in 2015, said he wants to change that.

According to Columbus Business First, there were eight business in February that were negotiating with the city.

Rife said he feels now is the right time to bring the theater back.

"I want it to benefit the community in any way," he said. "I am excited to see where it goes, whether it is a place to get something to eat or watch a show.

Rife said he hopes to finish cleaning by the end of the month just in time for the Lofty Spaces & Unique Places tour on June 15th.

HKarim@nncogannett.com

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