PHILADELPHIA, PA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Owners of Philadelphia’s Boyd theater are reportedly looking at an option to turning the 79-year-old Art Deco facility into a House of Blues.
The Boyd, which closed down in 2002, was purchased by Live Nation for $4.75 million in 2005 with the intent to turn it into a showcase for touring Broadway musicals. It has been viewed as little more than a controversial “white elephant” by the city in recent years, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 2,400-seat venue has morphed from movie palace to porn emporium to multiplex before closing earlier this decade. Two city groups are pushing for its reopening as a luxury movie house, but Live Nation is considering other plans.
“The two most likely scenarios are a House of Blues or a sale, and we’re open to other options,” Live Nation spokesman John Vlautin told the paper. Live Nation has already listed the property with broker CB Richard Ellis for an undisclosed priced.
While groups like Friends of the Boyd worry that Live Nation may destroy the theater’s rich heritage, Vlautin said the city should not be concerned.
“We have a history of revitalizing old venues, including the Wiltern in Los Angeles, and making them usable for today's climate without compromising their historic value,” he told the paper.
“We don't want to destroy what made the buildings great in the first place.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
