Hanover Theater remodel in the works after area business owners sign agreement
Mariana Veloso
Jordan Ilyes, the owner of the McAllister Hotel apartments in Hanover, is taking on another downtown project: the Hanover Theater.
"Every old building kind of screams my name. ... I like the before and after, that's what gives me just the excitement about what I do," Ilyes said.
He couldn't resist the challenge of the theater on Frederick Street, formally known as the State Theater, which has sat vacant for more than three decades.
"The theater obviously has been one of the iconic buildings of downtown Hanover," Ilyes said.
Ilyes signed a purchase agreement for the theater with his partners, Robert Godfrey and Andrew D'Agenais, on June 11. The trio put down a $2,000 deposit for the $245,000 building, which will be held in escrow pending their contingencies until December, Ilyes said.
Their contingencies include financing, engineering, zoning and parking agreements. Construction could begin as early as January 2021.
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Godfrey and D'Agenais both own the Handsome Cab restaurant in York and McAllister's on York in the McAllister Hotel in Hanover. Godfrey has a background in theater having worked with DreamWrights in York for many years, and D'Agenais hopes to focus on design and preservation of the building.
"We just feel that for downtown Hanover, it will be a big deal, it will be certainly an anchor for the downtown, similar to what the Strand is for York," Godfrey said.
Together, they hope to make it a multi-use entertainment building with a commercial kitchen. Ilyes said the project could cost from $7 million to $10 million.
"It'll be quite the endeavor, quite a pouring of money into Hanover, but it deserves it, it needs it, it should be the coolest event and entertainment space around," Ilyes said.
The group is also bringing in Deborah Keller to help with the marketing and sales for the nonprofit that will run the theater.
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The theater opened in 1928 as the State Theater and was used as such until December 1986. The building was first sold to be converted into an antique mall, but those plans fell through.
"It definitely needs work, but it's certainly a diamond in the rough. ... I think overall my impression of Hanover, the town is really charming, it's really beyond charming and I can just picture big square boxes with boxwoods and awnings on the buildings," D'Agenais said.
Godfrey said their goal is to add to downtown Hanover, not take away from anything that's already there.
"It will compliment. I know there's a comedy club, I know Eichelberger's there, something like this would compliment what is already going on, and draw people more to the Hanover area," Godfrey said.
'It might not happen': Parking, money could be obstacles
There are still many obstacles in the way before the group can begin construction. One of their main contingencies is a parking garage.
The Hanover Borough Council has approved a parking study to look at their parking options, said Eric Mains, director of planning and engineering for the borough.
Mains said that this study, unlike those that have been done before, will not just look at how many parking spaces there are but also look at the meters that the borough has and whether they should invest in electric ones, how the potential downtown growth will impact parking, if a parking garage is a viable option for any parking issues, the costs of these investments, among other things.
Mains said he is hoping that the engineer can have this report in by mid-July. Once the report is in, the borough council will discuss it in a public meeting and then make its decision.
Mains also said that the public should not be dead set on a parking garage. The borough is simply looking at their options and will decide what is best based on data and finances.
"The borough is excited about the theater being redone and becoming what Jordan has said," Mains said, adding that they are pleased with what he has done with the McAllister Hotel. Now, it's all about finding the best option for the borough.
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Ilyes said that if the borough can't find a way to fund the parking garage, he would consider partnering with them or try to find a third party.
Mains said the borough will also look at a public-private partnership if they choose to do the parking garage.
Another challenge will be raising the money to fund the renovation itself.
"If we can't figure out financing or we don't get the parking garage, it might not happen. ... To raise that type of money is not easy so we'll need everybody in Hanover to kind of get behind it. Hopefully we can push it through, we're going to do our best," Ilyes said.
Ilyes said they don't have many details on how they will raise the money just yet but they're hoping to partner with foundations to help pay for the project.
What the remodel could look like
While no design has been drafted yet, the group already has some ideas on how they would like to remodel the building.
First, they plan on flattening out the sloped floor that is in the main part of the theater. By doing this, they hope to create another level underneath the first floor. They also plan on extending the balcony in the main theater to allow for more seating.
There are also two basements already in the building which they hope to turn into more event space.
"The lowest basement actually has a spring running through it. We actually would keep that and make it a creek pretty much, and then stone the rest of that area which would be a catacomb, it would be pretty awesome for say groomsmen for a wedding to go down there like a speakeasy type feel," Ilyes said.
With all the different spaces, the group is hoping that the theater can serve as a location for many different simultaneous events.
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The group is also looking to preserve any characteristics they can.
"The stairs going up to the balcony are beautiful, there's like two lobbies, a lot of them have really intricate plaster work and just detail, all of that stuff we're going to be able to keep," Ilyes said.
They are also hoping to restore the front sign to its former glory.
Mariana Veloso is the Quality of Life reporter for the USA Today Network - Pennsylvania. Veloso focuses primarily on the opioid epidemic in southcentral PA, along with coverage of everyday issues in the Hanover area. If you have a story idea, you can email her at msveloso@eveningsun.com. Follow her on Twitter @MariVeloso9 to stay up to date with her latest articles.