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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation has acquired the historic Foster Theater located at 2504 Glenwood Avenue.
The Foster Theater was constructed in 1938 by Joseph Shagrin and the project architect was Morris Scheibel, who designed many prominent Youngstown buildings. The theater originally began as a movie theater. As the postwar era wore on, the Foster, and theaters in general, faced greater competition than ever as television became more prevalent. Shagrin adapted by making the Foster Youngstown’s home for art films. Shagrin retired in 1965 and sold the Foster to Louis Sher. Sher initially managed a chain of Art House Theaters, but as mainstream cinema became more popular, he began showing adult films. In a decade when many of the downtown movie palaces shuttered, the Foster remained viable in this new niche. Dee Barber bought the Foster in 1994 and continued operation until recently.
YNDC will develop a plan to make significant improvements and reuse the building in a productive and financially sustainable manner. This project is part of ongoing work to revitalize the greater Glenwood Avenue corridor.