Did you know the Oneonta Theatre is one of the 10 oldest theaters in New York state? I doubt many readers know the Oneonta Theatre is older than all the theaters on Broadway except for one — or that the Oneonta Theatre hosted the world premiere of the movie “Grease” in 1978. And I am certain that you don’t know that the last movie I watched at the Oneonta Theatre, before it closed, was “Titanic”.
Our Oneonta Theatre opened in 1897. Oneonta was experiencing an economic and cultural boom due, in large part, to the construction of a new railroad line between Binghamton and Schenectady. The travelling vaudeville circuit was made possible by the railroad as would be the delivery of reels of films to be shown there. It is said that one of the most popular performances in the theater’s early days were the “Womanless Weddings” — burlesque shows hosted by philanthropic organizations such as the Oneonta Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, which would then donate the proceeds to local charitable causes.
Bob Brzozowski has led the effort to restore the theater for many years. I asked if we could meet over coffee to talk about both progress made and the challenges involved in bringing the Oneonta Theatre, which is on the national register of historic places, back to life. Brzozowski told me there are now two organizations working in partnership on this mission. One is the not-for-profit Friends of the Oneonta Theatre, and the other is 47 Chestnut Street LLC which is the current owner of the theater. 47 Chestnut Street LLC was established by long-time Oneonta entrepreneur and city government volunteer Ed May. The LLC includes about 30 members, each of whom have invested at least $5,000 which was used to purchase the theater. Others working along with Brzozowski and May to lead the effort include Elaine and Marc Bresee, James Tomaino, Dave Rowley, Jim Maloney and Wendy Hunt. Brzozowski pointed out that not everyone involved shares the same motivating passion. While Brzozowski’s passion is historical preservation, others involved may be more motivated by the theater’s potential economic impact or by the increased access to live performances and film it would provide. However, Brzozowski adds, “We all agree that the theater can be an anchor for revitalization for the city and for the region.” While the effort is now completely volunteer run, the hope, Brzozowski told me, is to raise enough money to hire a professional executive director.
Today’s restoration effort was kickstarted back in 2018 when the city of Oneonta used its Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant to hire arts and cultural consultant Duncan Webb to conduct a feasibility study. Webb introduced Brzozowski to Phillip Morris, the former CEO of Proctors Theater in Schenectady. It was the restoration of the Proctors Theater that has been credited with changing Schenectady’s sleepy and vacant downtown into a center for the arts, entertainment and commerce. Brzozowski told me Morris continues to be generous in providing guidance and advice to the Oneonta group.
When I asked Brzozowski about progress made and the plan going forward, he told me “We have redone the entryway, lobby and bar; stopped roof leaks; and cleared out tons of crap.” The next planned step is to hire Mark Thaler, an architect specializing in restoration and renovation of historic buildings. Once the design is complete, “We plan on applying for historic tax credits to help finance the restoration,” Brzozowski said.
Currently, the theater can use a new roof which has an estimated cost of $850,000. The city of Oneonta tried to help by applying for a state grant. While the city was successful in receiving a $500,000 award, it requires FOTOT to lay out the full $850,000 before applying for the $500,000 reimbursement. As that is money they do not have, it is not likely that the award will actually take place.
Both Brzozowski and May cite not only Proctors’ impact on the city of Schenectady, but also the impact of the Stanley Theatre on Utica, the Slate Theater on Ithaca, and the Palace Theatre on Albany. While Oneonta is smaller than those other cities, Brzozowski said he and May are believers in the positive impact a revived Oneonta Theatre could have on the Oneonta community.
Brzozowski was clear in telling me, “This is not going to be easy,” yet he remains optimistic. His passion and many years of experience in historical preservation coupled with May’s record of success (which includes creating close to a hundred units of quality housing for local families; renovating 189 Main Street to provide desirable office space; restoring Oneonta’s iconic Nick’s Diner and updating and revitalizing Oneonta’s Albert S. Nader Airport) does provide reason for optimism.
If you want to learn more and get involved in the rebirth of this historic gem, Brzozowski asks you to visit the FOTOT website at oneontatheatre.org. I agree with Brzozowski, May and the others involved that the Oneonta Theatre provides an opportunity that we would be very foolish to overlook.