Oneonta Theater
At ‘Critical Stage’
Options To Be Discussed Tuesday
In ‘Conversation’ At History Center
ONEONTA – The deteriorating Oneonta Theater has reached a “critical stage,” Bob Brozowski, Greater Oneonta Historical Society executive director, told the GOHS’ annual meeting this evening, and a “Community Conversation” has been scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday in the History Center, 183 Main St., to discuss how it may be saved.
Kathleen Gasperini, a theater expert who has a summer home in Schenevus, will be among the attendees, Brzozowski said. All interested parties are welcome.
Tom Cormier, who bought the building for $225,000 in 2009 and put it on the market for $925,000 last year, has been unable to secure a buyer, even while dropping the price to $725,000, and is running out of options, according to conversation at this evening’s meeting.
“We can’t lose that theater,” Brzozowski said, and he hopes ideas will come out of Tuesday’s meeting to keep the building secure until its future can be defined.
The Theater is a significant part of Oneonta’s history and should be saved. The city was awarded $10 million recently why can’t we save it with some of that money.
Marc is absolutely right…the City should prioritize saving the Theater, which will add far more to the attractiveness of downtown than any of the other options that have been proposed.
Why not make it into a discovery center like in Binghamton there is nothing in this town and I don’t see people building things the community is actually in need of causeing them to go out of town and spend money else where you have so many kids in the community look at how full the parks are once the weather is nice. Oneonta needs to wake up these specialty shops are not making it and soon center city will be a ghost town there are no trendy stores for teens no stores for babies clothing and all essentials have to be bought at walmart even a store like cobeskils grapevine would do great these are the thing this community travels for and building something that would actually be used like a discovery center or an arcade type deal is better then just putting a place holder
I definitely agree with Marc Bresee, why are we not spending some of the $10 million on preserving our wonderful history. This venue could generate profit and jobs for our area.
i want to know why it can’t be turned back in to a movie theater. get anyone willing to help fix it up like a community habitat for humanity project. get local companies to contribute to the building materials needed and everyone pitch in as best they can for labor
I’m unclear, its assessed at $375,000 (2016). If Tom bought it for $225,000 and there’s a grant in excess of $10mm how come it’s for sale for such a high price. Maybe a commercial for profit tax paying entity would be interested if the price were market based and not a Lottery Winning basis. You have transient residents who are college students that give you great new ‘eyeballs’ and discretionary income every four years. Price it well, get community support, and create something of value for that audience. It’s overpriced and the community owes Tom or the Theatre no further commercial gain.
This building is on the Historical registre. Oneonta does not need to remove any more history. We already lost the railroad round house which could have been made into a museum which would have been a history center and a tourist attraction. Use some of the money that was given to Oneonta.