As part of a 10-year renovation project at one of Ohio’s most historic theaters, contractors will spend the next six weeks removing asbestos materials that have made the old building unsafe in the past for both employees and patrons.

An article in The Herald-Star reports that scaffolding was erected this week so that workers from Lepi Enterprises of nearby Zanesville, Ohio could begin the process of removing yards of asbestos-covered pipes from the theater, which opened in 1925 but ceased operations in 1979 and was used only as storage space for the last few decades. Fans of the old theater are anxious to have it up and running again.

The $49,748 contract for asbestos abatement is being paid through the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant received by the city last year. Representatives from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Developmental Services toured the theater earlier in the summer to review renovations, and will be on hand to make sure all procedures are correctly carried out so that no one suffers asbestos exposure during the removal.

“The project should last about six weeks, and all of the asbestos will be completely removed from the building. I am very glad we were able to receive the state grant to do this project and appreciate the efforts by the city and the Jefferson County Regional Planning Commission,” said Scott Dressel, president of the Grand Theater for the Performing Arts Restoration Committee, who assured everyone that the stage and seating area would be completely sealed during the asbestos removal.

“No one will be allowed in the theater until the work is done,” stated Dressel, who noted that his team of volunteers would be working on exterior projects while Lepi Enterprises was addressing the toxic asbestos insulation inside.

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