Mar 2, 2019 1 min read

CHARLEROI – The curtain has come down on a $7.5 million plan to repurpose Charleroi’s historic Coyle Theater.

The owner of the complex, Mon Valley Alliance, is again re-evaluating the theater, and demolition is among the options, said John Easoz, acting chief executive officer and chairman of the alliance board.

The re-evaluation followed a decision by the board that oversees distributions from a pool of money pulled from the revenues at The Meadows Casino in North Strabane Township to not approve funding for the Coyle project.

That plan included the demolition of two aging buildings next to the theater, work that is underway and expected to be completed by the end of the month, Easoz said.

The plan that was brought before the slots board in December also called for a new two-story building to be constructed on the demolition site and retrofitting a smaller theater and office space in the Coyle building.

The 1,000-seat theater, which was previously owned by a nonprofit arts trust, has been closed since 1999. Its roof leaked over the years, resulting in severe damage to the interior of the more than 100-year-old building at 331 McKean Ave.