The new owners of the Ohio Theatre in Lima have run into some renovation troubles, but that’s not stopping them from keeping the momentum going on the project.
Toward the end of last year, the historic Ohio Theatre got new owners that have big plans for the 20,000 sq. ft. building. They intended on having one of the several businesses that will call the theatre home to be up and running by now, but the conditions of the theatre are in more of a rough shape than the owners initially thought.
“The root of all evil at the Ohio Theatre is the roof," says Michael Bouson, one of the owners. "It has needed a repair apparently for close to 40 years. We were unaware of just how bad the roof was when we purchased the property, but that’s okay. We’re very much aware now, because when it rains in Lima, it rains inside the Ohio Theatre.”
The contracting company they hired for the roof was booked out for the first half of this year, and they recently got news that construction on the new roof won't be started until August.
Bouson says, “That was a shock to us. We’re going to have to push back all of our opening dates because truthfully we can't repair the inside of the building in the way it needs to be repaired if it’s still leaking.”
Although the roof has extended the time it will take them to finish the renovations by months, the owners are still hopeful and excited to see the theatre as a place the community will enjoy.
They have set up a non-profit called “Friends of the Ohio Theatre” where people can donate to help keep the project going. You can find it on Facebook.
