Revitalization of historic State Theater breathes new life into century-old building
The State Theater presented the The Classic Vinyl Concert Series “The Best of Earth, Wind and Fire Vol. 1″ this past weekend. It was the first time the dance floor of the State Theater had been properly used in decades. Photo: Provided.
While living in the Baltimore area, Eric Reighard and his wife were looking to return to their hometown. That’s when the century-old crown jewel of Johnstown appeared and needed some TLC that the Reighards could give it.
The couple purchased the building from a local hospital, which had acquired it along with other properties in the area. Fortunately, the State Theater had been mostly maintained over the years. “It was the perfect opportunity to bring a collaborative entertainment experience to Johnstown,” Reighard said.
Today, the State Theater has been open for 18 months and has seen over 10, 000 patrons. “We show movies and hold events like birthday parties, conference-style lectures, concerts, and we just got an IMAX contract as well,” he said.
Startup Alleghenies coach Blake Fleegle knows a thing or two about theaters and has offered his vast wisdom. “Blake is my competition,” Reighard laughed. “But I can’t praise him enough. He understands the value of a competitive market and has given us a behind-the-scenes look at how to run a theater.”
“There is a saying that a rising tide lifts all boats” Fleegle said. “And that is true for Eric and the State Theater. It’s about more than just him and just the theater, it’s about bringing life back into our downtown streets, and the State can do just that.”
A concert from last November featured “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely … by The Beatles.” Photo: Provided.
“This project is our soul mate,” Reighard boldly shared. “We get to define our journey, and we have a flexible yet clear vision and an insane amount of passion that keeps us driven and moving forward.”
Reighard has more big plans in the works for the State Theater. Renovation, restoration and revitalization will begin in quarter two of this year with an expected completion of 2025. “It will be the full experience from the IMAX to the speakeasy to a place to stay. Our vision is that you will be able to come to Johnstown for this cool experience, and the State Theater will become a destination,” he said. “There are apartments in the front that will be transformed into overnight suites.”
“With the age of the building, there are three levels under it—it was built during the prohibition—that space will be transformed into a speakeasy,” Reighard said. “We see a pillar in the town and are looking for ways to keep the nostalgia but adaptively reuse it.”
“Our vision is that you will be able to come to Johnstown for this cool experience, and the State Theater will become a destination.”
In the age of defining millennial success, Reighard said there is this paradox between success and adding value. “The modern workforce doesn’t want just to collect a paycheck,” he said, “they want to understand how their role is adding value to their life and how they are adding value to the people around them.”
“We want to focus on what value the individual brings and how we keep them fed,” he said.
Reighard offers this—“As an entrepreneur, it can feel extremely lonely at times… in left field on your own… for every issue you are having, there is another entrepreneur out there, and even locally, that has had a similar experience, and you can connect with them and learn from them.”
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
