YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -  The last theatre to offer regularly scheduled movies in Youngstown before shutting down has been taken over by the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation to become part of a larger effort to revitalize the Glenwood Avenue Corridor.

According to property records, YNDC is the new owner of the Foster Theatre.

Opened in 1938, the theatre in the city’s Fosterville neighborhood became the Foster Art Theatre in the 1960s showing European films before switching x-rated adult films on the big screen and coin-operated “peep shows”.

The theatre has been on the YNDC’s radar since at least 2016, mentioned in a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization proposal as one of the few remaining structures of historical significance along the Glenwood Corridor.

At the time, the proposal called for restoring the theatre into a Youth Theatre and Arts Facility, saying that “The existing pornographic theatre reflects badly on the neighborhood and brings undesirable elements into the neighborhood.”

Now that YNDC has taken ownership, the organization’s Facebook page has posted a picture of Foster’s marquee that simply displays the word “REVITALIZE”.

"Us acquiring it is going to allow us to preserve the historic theatre building," said Ian Beniston, Executive Director for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. "But also end it's use as a triple X theatre," he said. 

With a playground just blocks away from the theatre, neighbors had some concerns. Beniston hopes to change the reputation.

"We certainly think that this building can be something again that neighbors here are proud of and that we're proud of and adds value to the neighborhood," said Beniston.

Beniston also tells 21 News there's a lot of work that's going to have to go into renovating the building but that it will be a collective effort between neighbors, funders and other partners.

"As we've seen on some of the social media posts too, there's people have tons of ideas so, sifting through that listening, hearing what people have to say too, will be part of the process," Beniston said.

Just a month ago, YNDC was awarded an Economic Development grant to renovate a vacant retail plaza at Glenwood and Idora Avenues, half a dozen blocks south of the Foster.

YNDC says funds will be used to renovate the plaza into a modern retail facility with several units for businesses to serve the neighborhood.