Ohio University Offers to Buy Athena Theatre
Contact: Leesa Brown, Assistant Vice President for
Communications, Ohio University, (740) 593-1043.
ATHENS, Ohio (October 16, 2000) -- University officials confirmed today that their offer to purchase the Athena Theatre has been accepted.
The purchase is contingent upon appropriate approvals at the state level.
"We believe it would be a serious loss for Athens as well as the university communities were we to lose the theater on Court Street," said President Robert Glidden
The Student Affairs' office success with programming "Midnight Movies" at the Athena was among the reasons the University considered purchasing the Theatre. However, the University plans to "first and foremost continue to provide movie entertainment for the community," Glidden said, adding that many remaining details need to be worked out thoughtfully and carefully. "We have to consider costs of various modes of operation -- for example, whether we can afford to offer first-runs -- but certainly we will want the theater to contribute to the intellectual life of the community -- some good art films, foreign films, etc., that might not be seen anywhere else in the region."
President Glidden will be available for comment on the Athena purchase following today's press conference about the University Coalition for Habitat for Humanity at the College Gate at 1:30 p.m.
