Public hearing set on Catskill Community Theatre restoration

The hearing will focus on a Restore NY grant application to transform the Community Theatre, 373 Main St., from a vacant building into a film and live performing arts center.

The theater, opened in 1920 and known for its iconic marquee in Catskill, was a haven for vaudeville acts in the 1920s, performing on a stage 20 feet deep. Reel-to-reel projectors showed silent movies on the big screen, accompanied by music from a pipe organ and later by small orchestras. At full capacity, the theater can accommodate 600 people.

The theater was split into two separate rooms in the early 1970s when the former balcony section was closed and a new screen, and new film projectors, were installed.

In 2020, the theater closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and was bought by Benjamin Fain, of South Front Street Holdings LLC., from longtime owner Tom Thornton.

Fain tried to bring back movies to the theater in 2023 with a collaboration with Upstate Films, as well as restore the space with a state grant.

In January 2023, the board unanimously voted to endorse an application by Fain to secure a Restore NY grant to reconstruct the 19,000-square-foot theater.

“The building is a real jewel, it’s right in the center of town, and I think we can bring it back,” he told the board in 2023.

Because of a paperwork error with the 2023 grant application, which nullified it, Fain returned to the board March 13 to request its approval to reapply for the grant. The board voted unanimously at last month’s meeting to endorse another application by Fain and business partner Sophie Anderson, board Vice President Natasha Law said.

“Anyone with an abandoned building could have come forward to the village letting us know that they wanted to apply for the Restore grant asking us for support in the process, however, the owner of the theater is the only one that approached the village board,” Law said. “The grant does have to go through the process with municipality support in order to qualify, and follow specific guidelines throughout the application process.”

According to the Restore NY application guidelines, a public hearing must be held and the property has to be assessed.

The theater was always a highlight in the community, Village Trustee Daniel Ward said.

“The theater was a public resource for the children in the area,” Ward said. “Tickets and snacks were always an affordable option for the community.”

He said it would be great to have that space back.

When the application was initially approved in 2023, restoration of the theater was estimated at $3.7 million and the owners were hoping for $1.4 million from the program.

“Last year, sadly there was a clerical error made when the property owner applied and he was not able to move forward with applying, so he has returned this year to again apply for Restore NY,” Law said.

Fain could not be reached for comment.

“I’m sure his intentions are the same as when he was going to apply last year,” Law said. “To our knowledge it will remain as a theater, but we are not sure of specifics.”

Wednesday’s public hearing will allow for Fain to share the specifics of the restoration and grant with the board and public, Law added.

The public hearing is scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.