After sixteen years of perseverance, Athena's Gem Theatre is lit once again, the Union Bulletin reports.
Set in the 1901 Jacob Betz Building, the theatre was first constructed as a saloon and restaurant. Seven years later, Athena banned saloons, and the west compartment of the Betz Building was converted to a movie house.
After many years, and various uses, the Gem was donated to the city of Athena in 2004 to be renovated as a theater.
A nonprofit was formed to carry out the renovations, including students from the Athena-Weston School District.
Finally, it was time to turn the lights on.
"I know everybody is worried about so many things and I thought 'Well, let's just do it and see how people react,'" said Rob McIntyre, leader of the project. "We've been working on it a long time and I think people have felt like it is endless."
However, the theatre is not able to put on productions just yet. They will need to raise $200,000 for stage equipment.
But McIntyre remains hopeful. "We've raised $1.3 million, so we can do it," he said.
Read more on Union Bulletin.
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