When William Bryson pictures the new Florida Theater, he sees actors and bands onstage.
Bryson bought the Florida Theater, located at 233 W. University Ave., on Aug. 17 and is already dreaming up ways to connect the former concert and dance club venue to its 97-year-old history, he said. Since closing the deal to buy the theater, Bryson has started making plans for comprehensive renovations. Bryson bought the venue for $1,150,000.
“Its potential is what drew me to it,” said the 51-year-old promoter and former club owner.
Bryson hopes to change the space so that it can be used for community forums and musical and theatrical performances.
“I see it as a vital component of what downtown will become,” he said. “The theater will provide this sort of cultural liftoff to downtown.”
Andrew Chabab, a 20-year-old computer science junior, said the venue, although spacious, had fallen into disrepair.
“(The theater) hadn’t been fixed up in a while,” he said. “It looked like the people there didn’t put much into it.”
Bryson said the theater is up to code but falling apart.
“The ... bathrooms are disgusting. The (performance) space is in really poor condition,” he said. “It’s disappointing.”
Craig Cinque, the previous owner of the building, said he decided to sell the space when he talked to Bryson and heard about his ideas.
“(William) is really passionate about it and what he can do with it,” Cinque said. “Bryson is going to build it up to its former glory.”
