Demo work begins on theater marquee

NORWALK — Before too long, the historic marquee of Norwalk Theater will be lighting up Main Street once again with work scheduled to begin on restoration as soon as weather permits. "It's taken us more than two years, but we are finally set to actually start the marquee renovation and conversion to LED lights with the help of our generous donors from our 2021 Annual Appeal and a grant from the State of Ohio," said Dina Lukasko, Norwalk Arts Center president. The Norwalk Theater marquee is the largest of its kind in Ohio. Steve and Matt Wheeler, from Wheeler Sheet Metal, were on the job Tuesday starting to tear down the old marquee. "We discovered in our preparation work that the damage was much more extensive than we realized," Lukasko said. "But we are determined to fix everything at our beloved theater properly rather than just put band-aids and a new coat of paint on it. "This theater is truly a gem and we want it to be a center for entertainment and the arts for generations to come," she said. Contractors for the project are: Wheeler Sheet Metal, of Norwalk; Brady Signs and Firelands Electric, of Sandusky; Gallagher Plumbing, of Huron; Damshroder Roofing, of Fremont; and Total Environmental Services, of Toledo. State Rep. Richard Stein and State Sen. Nathan Manning helped NAC secure the $250,000 grant, which was originally intended to replace the theater's roof. With various delays at the state level, including COVID-19, NAC managed to pay for the roof with local donations so the grant can be used for the marquee. "We've replaced the roof and the marquee is just the next step," Lukasko said. "Then we have the huge task of complete renovation for the theater's interior. That is a massive project, but our architects have drawn up fantastic plans and we will be moving forward on that in the near future."