CLEVELAND — The Capitol Theatre in Cleveland was scheduled to reopen on July 17, but the theater’s operators announced Thursday the reopening will not happen on time.
The Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization said that the theater has come well short of its goal of $50,000 to perform repairs, pay bills and order supplies. As of Thursday, the Capitol Theatre said it has garnered $13,605 in fundraising.
Like many other entertainment venues, the Captiol Theatre applied for “shuttered venue” grants through the federal government. The federal government allocated $500 million for Ohio entertainment venues to cover losses during the pandemic.
As of earlier this week, nine grants had been fulfilled in the state of Ohio, totalling $6.4 million, according to federal figures. That means the vast majority of the $500 million allocated to Ohio has not been used.
Nationally, there have been 8,821 applications submitted, and only 411 of those have received funds.
The Capitol Theatre has not been open for 15 months and was intending on celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Despite the setback, the theater’s operators said in a statement that they remain “optimistic” the theater will reopen soon.
“The Capitol’s main goal has always been to provide a welcoming, community-oriented movie theatre as an anchor of the Gordon Square Arts District in the heart of our neighborhood,” the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization said in a statement. “Any income or fundraising exceeding expenses is reinvested in the Capitol, for upgrades or for reserve funds to cover crises.”
The theater attracts 60,000 visitors a year, according to operators.
