The historic Lansdowne movie theater will reopen in the fall of 2024 as a regional concert venue following a one-year $18 million construction project starting in mid-August, according to a release from the nonprofit Historic Lansdowne Theater Corporation.

The 96-year-old movie theater on North Lansdowne Avenue in Lansdowne operated from 1927 until 1987 as a single-screen movie theater before closing. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 1,280-seat theater will now host performances by professional musicians. Non-profit performing arts organizations and school groups will also have a chance to use the theater through subsidized rental rates.

Hundreds of Lansdowne Theater donors, elected officials, and members of the Historic Lansdowne Theater Corporation gathered Monday to celebrate a new beginning for the iconic landmark.

“I am proud and excited to support the restoration of the historic Lansdowne Theater, one of the last remaining great theaters from the Golden Age of Hollywood in our region,” said Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.

Restoring the theater will “breathe new life into our arts community and spur local economic growth,” Scanlon said.

Others at Monday’s event included U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, PA Sens. Tim Kearney and Anthony Williams; PA Rep. Gina Curry; Lansdowne Mayor Magda Byrne; JNA President Ahsan Nasratullah; Reinvestment Fund Managing Director Kareem Thomas; and WSFS Senior Vice President Phil Hough.

The goal of the revitalization is to preserve the architectural integrity of the theater.  Historic lighting fixtures, including the grand chandelier, will be restored.

New theater seats will match the original 1927 design.

The theater will also be modernized with expanded restrooms, a fire suppression system, a lobby bar, a 1,500-square-foot patron lounge, and a state-of-the-art box office.

The roof, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems will be replaced and a building addition added in the rear to accommodate dressing rooms, storage, and a kitchen.

The first floor will be fully ADA-compliant.

Bob Jara, president of the HLTC Board of Directors, said the nonprofit responded to the desire of many Delaware County residents to preserve the theater and reopen it as a venue for public entertainment.

“After a long battle to secure funding and approvals from a myriad of regulatory agencies, we are proud to join with our supporters to begin construction,” he said.

HLTC will retain ownership of the building and lease it to a leading regional independent concert promoter who will bring nationally- and internationally-known musicians to the venue.

“We took on this project because we want to preserve this landmark building and recognized the potential of the project to spur economic development throughout the business district,” said Matt Schultz, executive director of the HLTC. “We don’t want to ever lose local ownership of the building again. The building had fallen into disrepair, and it is our charge to take care of The Lansdowne forever.”

Find out more about the Lansdowne Theater at the Historic Lansdowne Theater Corporation.