New life coming to the Emery Center

Renovations start on the historic Emery Center in early 2021.

COMING TO A HISTORIC DOWNTOWNCINCINNATI BUILDING.AND THEHIDDEN GEM INSIDE COULD SOONMAKE MUSIC AGAIN.I RECENTLYGOT A TOUR THROUGH THE EMERYCENTER - AND ITS LEGENDARY BUTLONG CLOSED THEATRE.NATS car passes Emery(cover)Chris Frutkin/City CenterProperties 084452 I wasalways drawn to buildings likethis that have so much storyto tell.CHRIS FRUTKIN NOW OWNSTHE EMERY CENTER -- HE IS ACARETAKER OF THOSE STORIES.ANDTHE NEXT CHAPTER IS BEINGWRITTEN NOW.THE APARTMENTS AREBEING RENOVATED - AND THENTHERE'S THE LONG-EMPTY THEATER.Frutkin 092538 We feel likethis theater is the cherry ontop, it's just an incredible,incredible structure.BUILT ASA CONCERT HALL FOR THESYMPHONY - IT IS CONSIDEREDACOUSTICALLY PURE.Frutkin084548 If you stand on thestage and drop a coin, you canhear that coin anywhere in thetheater, so it has a uniqueability to transmit sound butthe sound - once it's but thesound - once it's transmitted- dies.

There's no echo inhere.THE C-S-O PLAYED HEREUNTIL 19-36.GEORGE GERSHWINPLAYED HERE TOO.DOCTOR MARTINLUTHER KING JUNIOR SPOKE.NATSWultizerTHE MIGHTY WURLITZERMOVED HERE FROM THE ALBEE.NOW- THE CHILDRENS THEATRE OFCINCINNATI IS PLOTTING A 30MILLION DOLLAR MAKEOVER KimKern/The Childrens Theatre ofCincinnati CEO 0346 Weperformed there until 1969 soit would really be TheChildrens Theatre going homeif you will and it hasimplications well beyond theChildrens TheatreYEARS OFNEGLECT SHOW HERE -AS FRUTKINSHOWS US AROUND.NATS 085050just the theaterPAINT PEELS --SOME CEILING HAS COLLAPSED --CHAIRS ARE UNBOLTED.BUT THEYDON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THISANYMORE.NATS film reelSAMUELHANNAFORD BUILT THE EMERYCENTER IN 19-11 AS THE OHIOMECHANICS INSTITUTE.MARY EMERYHAD ONE DEMAND.Frutkin 084723Mary Emery allegedly said, Iwant a home for the Symphonythat is the best in the world.I'll build the school too butyou've got to let me build thetheatre.Kern 0402 The factthat we would be able to honorMary Emery's originalintent of keeping it a placeof gathering and education isphenomenal.THE EMERYTHEATRE HAS BEEN SILENT FORYEARS.FRUTKIN AND BUSINESSPARTNER DAVE NEYER BOUGHT THEWHOLE BUILDING LAST YEAR FORJUST UNDER NINE MILLIONDOLLARS.Kern 1737 They lovethe city, they love the arts,they have the right mindsetfor why this theatre needs tobe restored.SOON ENOUGHNATS popcorn- THIS HIDDEN GEM- ON THE RHINE - NATSWurlitzer- WILL BE RADIATINGWITH MUSIC AGAIN.NATS applauseTHE CHILDRENS THEATRE OFCINCINNATI SAYS IT COULD BEMOVED INTO A RENOVATED EMERYTHEATRE AS SOON AS THREE AND AHALF YEARS FROM NOW.RENOVATIONS ON THE APARTMENTSSHOULD TAKE ANOTHER 18 MONTHS.