A $2.6-million renovation of the Drexel Theatre in Bexley will proceed thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program, ThisWeek Community News reports. The Ohio Development Services Agency announced the grant in December; earlier in the year, the theatre received “about $250,000 in federal historic rehabilitation tax credits,” according to the article. Bill Conner, president and CEO of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), which manages the Drexel, said “[w]e’re going to renovate theatres 1, 2 and 3 and the lobby,” in addition to restoring the marquee to its original condition. Friends of the Drexel purchased the movie theatre in 2011 and “entered into an agreement with CAPA” to manage it. Chairman of the Friends of the Drexel Board Richard Stoff said the group “continues to work tirelessly to improve and restore this beloved theatre for future generations. To be awarded historic tax credits on both a state and federal level further strengthens our conviction that the Drexel is not only a vital historic icon that’s worthy of preservation, but one of the nation’s premier art houses for award-winning independent cinemas.”
Historic Drexel Theatre receives state and federal support for renovation
