Capitol Theatre Comeback

Concerts are coming back to Flint, Mich.’s Capitol Theatre following news that the nonprofit Uptown Reinvestment Corporation has inked a purchase agreement with the Farah family that’s owned the historic venue for nearly 40 years.

The Capitol Theatre in Flint, Mich., is in the middle of a $20 million renovation.

In its heyday, the Capitol hosted everyone from AC/DC to Ray Charles and John Mellencamp, but the building went dark in 1995 when the family decided to put it into preservation mode.

While Troy Farah noted his family didn’t really want to sell, he explained they realized it was necessary to transition the venue into nonprofit hands so a full restoration could take place. Uptown will spend roughly $20 million to revamp the 2,000-seat theatre.

“The Capitol Theatre is sitting in a pivotal location and will serve as a transformational project,” Farah told Pollstar. “That’s why we think it’s not only important that the theatre is restored but that it also serves an anchor component of revitalizing downtown.”

Farah added that Flint is strategically located on the northern edge of the Detroit suburbs in the Michigan entertainment market.

“The venue has always had the ability to sell tickets in the Detroit market,” he said. “Key elements of its success have been to cater to the greater Detroit market.” Architecture firm Westlake Reed Leskosky, which has played a role in a number of historic theater projects, has been tapped for the restoration.

The renovation plan will include 25,000-square-feet of attached office and retail space, and if all goes as planned, the venue could be ready for a grand reopening in the next 18-24 months.