Robins’ project revives past glory, holds hope for future

Mention The Robins to many longtime Mahoning Valley residents, and their thoughts won’t instantly turn to a flock of those red-breasted migratory songbirds.

Rather The Robins likely will trigger fond youthful memories of the classic and ornate vaudeville theater and movie palace that once reigned as the crown jewel of downtown Warren.

For them and others, news this week that Warren developer Mark Marvin has purchased the 95-year-old Italian Renaissance style theater for $375,000 and will restore it to its former glory is exciting indeed. Having stood vacant for 43 years, The Robins clearly rises as one of the most anticipated and exciting restoration projects in the city’s history.

But the project to infuse capital and breathe new life into the downtown venue is not all about the past. It’s also about the future as it carries power to jump-start additional downtown growth and development.

To be sure, The Robins – built in 1922 by a business group that included Daniel Robins, a partner in the legendary Warner Bros. – remains a historic architectural jewel. The interior features Vermont marble columns, grand staircases and an ornate ceiling resembling the night sky. Once restored to their original luster, we’re confident those classic features would continue to wow patrons for decades to come.

In Marvin and his Downtown Development Group, the Robins renaissance is fortunate to have an experienced and successful developer at its helm.He most recently completed a major revitalization of the high-rise Mahoning Building on Courthouse Square into offices and condominiums. His company’s portfolio of retail, commercial and residential properties have succeeded, contributing markedly to the ongoing revival of the historic city’s central business district.

We anticipate similar success with The Robins makeover. After all, it’s got much going for it.

For one, the structure is in relatively healthy shape for a 95-year-old. Marvin has pointed out that the edifice is structurally sound and that most of the estimated $5 million to $7 million investment in its restoration will target modernizing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical work.

In financing that work, we hope private individuals and community foundations will recognize its value and offer generous contributions to this public-private partnership project. Details of that partnership are expected to be unveiled at a Feb. 6 press conference, but it is our hope that the project can succeed with minimal impact on the city of Warren’s strained municipal budget.

ROBUST GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT

Another sign of promise for the theater project lies in the guidance and support it is receiving from two respected community institutions. The Robins Project, a long-standing civic organization, has been promoting the theater’s restoration for years now and has worked with urban design students from The New School in New York charting restoration ideas.

In addition, the Downtown Development Group’s partnership with Sunrise Entertainment also bodes well for the theater once it reopens.

That Warren-based entertainment agency has presented the popular and crowd-pleasing River Rock at the Amp concert series at the Warren Community Amphitheater. It’s also promoted concerts and shows at W.D. Packard Music Hall in Warren and at Powers and Stambaugh auditoriums in Youngstown. It’s likely no coincidence that each of those venues has logged significantly increased use and success since acquiring the assistance of Sunrise in recent years.

For all of the promise a reopened Robins presents in and of itself, the project also wields great potential as a vital catalyst for more restaurants, clubs, offices, stores and residential spaces in its shadows. One need only look at the commerce-producing ripple effects from the Covelli Centre, the DeYor Performing Arts Center and Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown as a model.

But don’t just take our word for it. In a study from Eastern Michigan University titled “Historic Theaters As Tools of Economic Revitalization,” authors Ilene and Norman Tyler make this conclusion:

“Restoring a performance space can positively influence a community’s quality of life and spur further economic redevelopment in the downtown district. Reincarnation of a vacant, derelice theater located in the heart of a struggling downtown district means more than fixing up a building and hanging out a banner saying we’re “OPEN” again. It also means being a viable member of the business community and partnering with its stores and restaurants to create the vitality that was once part of downtown.”

We’re confident that formula for success can and will play out to rave reviews for The Robins’ renaissance in Warren.