Theater lawsuit reaches settlement
CHARLEROI – A confidential settlement has put an end to litigation historians filed in an attempt to prevent the sale of Coyle Theater, but the fate of the historic buildings in downtown Charleroi remains unclear.
In a joint statement Wednesday, Charleroi Area Historical Society and Mon Valley Alliance, which owns the theater, agreed to “work together regarding the revitalization of Charleroi’s business and historic districts.”
The alliance will retain ownership of the Coyle buildings in the 300 block of McKean Avenue under the terms of the settlement.
“The MVA will be undertaking several different studies to determine the best, safest, and most economically viable use of the Coyle Theater properties, while keeping the historical nature of the buildings in mind,” said Christopher Whitlatch, the alliance’s chief executive officer.
The 1,000-seat theater, which dates to the 1890s, closed in 1999 after a showing of the movie “Titanic,” and a nonprofit organization, the Mid Mon Valley Cultural Trust, later took ownership of the theater and two neighboring structures.
However, the trust couldn’t raise enough money to restore the properties, and it sold the buildings in December for $19,500 to an organization that was later folded into the alliance.
The historical society and two of its members, Nikki Sheppick and Kenneth Thompson, reacted by filing a suit in Washington County Court, claiming the sale violated the terms of the trust’s charter. The lawsuit was dismissed in December, and the plaintiffs appealed the ruling to Commonwealth Court.
The alliance in March said it had no money to invest in the theater, which is nearly intact but has fallen into poor condition due to a leaking roof.
“All parties involved in this litigation want to express that they want what is best for the future of Charleroi while attempting to do right by its past,” the groups stated in a news release.
Charleroi attorney Todd M. Pappasergi, who represents the alliance in the case, said MVA will be looking into grants. He said the parties involved in the case decided to keep the terms of the settlement confidential, and that none of them are subject to open records laws.
The MVA is conducting a structural engineering study followed by a feasibility study to inform any future decisions.