Marysville Uptown Theater Association - Avalon Theater

Architectural Renovation Turned New-Build Restores City’s Historic Uptown Theater

Originally built in 1932, the Avalon Theater in Marysville, Ohio was one of the finest, most modern theaters in the state and a center for the performing arts in Union County until 2009 when the final curtain fell. At that time, the Marysville Uptown Theater Association spearheaded the renovation of the badly deteriorated structure in an effort to restore it for use once again as a community theater and performing arts center.

OHM Advisors and Marker Construction joined the project in 2017, working together closely from the start to develop a phased plan and budget for stabilizing and rehabilitating the structure. Over five years, the team and involved community partners worked in strong partnership and collaboration to develop drawings and corresponding cost estimates and move the project forward incrementally as funds became available to the Association. This close, flexible working relationship was most essential when the theater’s badly deteriorated roof collapsed during a storm after construction began. The team moved swiftly to stabilize remaining walls and mitigate the damage, and because of its careful cost estimating and planning, was able to transition the project from a renovation to a new build just one week after the collapse.

The result is a completely new building that captures the theater’s original aesthetic. The exterior Art Deco façade incorporates a pigmented, structural glass designed to mimic the Vitrolite original, and the new interior 280-seat auditorium includes portions of the original seating. The theater is a renewed space for community gathering with live music and performances in the auditorium and can operate as a bar and lounge serving up to 49 guests for pre-function activities. The theater has reclaimed its status as one of the city’s essential landmarks and will serve the thrilled community for years to come.

Project highlights: architecture, renovation, rehabilitation, budgeting, civic engagement