One of the best known York County live entertainment venues is up for sale.
York leaders are committed to keeping a downtown landmark, even if it changes hands.
York City Council discussed helping owners of the Sylvia Theater through a sale when council met Tuesday night. The theater remains open but is on the market.
“The word I’m telling people is we’ll be a facilitator, to save the Sylvia,” said Mayor Eddie Lee. “We agreed that we would be a facilitator to see that the Sylvia Theater continues to be a destination point. People come to York to go to the Sylvia.”
Lee said in the two days since the council meeting he’s received several serious inquiries and widespread support for keeping the theater. The site, more than a century old, isn’t on the national registry of historic places, which would offer some protections for what it could become. It is at the heart of York’s historic district, which offers some similar protection from the city.
Lee, an historian who also spends time on the committee to review sites for the nation register, said if the new owner wants to list it there he sees possibility.
“In my judgment it’s qualified to be,” Lee said.
The current owner bought the Sylvia in 2002. The site shows first-run movies, hosts concerts, and other live entertainment. Families or groups sometimes rent it for events.
“He kind of resurrected it,” Lee said of owner and performer Paul Finnican. “It’s a first-rate venue.”
The theater recently went up for sale amid health concerns for the ownership family. There was a benefit show in April at the Sylvia related to ongoing health issues.
Lee and Seth Duncan, city manager, will field inquiries about the property. The city isn’t taking ownership. City leaders will relay prospective deals to the owners. The city’s interest, Lee said, isn’t financial but in keeping something that’s a key part of York intact.
“We have had lots of interest, just in the last couple of days,” Lee said. “I’m interested in seeing the Sylvia continue being part of the culture of the city.”
According to Visit York County, the building first hosted movies from 1926 to 1933 after a major fire. It also had been used as a hotel, department store and dry goods company in its earlier years. It became retail again after its short run of movies.
The Sylvia got its name in the 1930s, after the daughter of an owner.
The site hadn’t been a theater for some time before Finnican took ownership. Lee, who grew up watching movies there, said it’s been a successful run for more than a decade since.
“There are nights downtown where you can’t find a parking space, because there are so many people there,” Lee said.
The mayor recalls introducing 90s hit artist and South Carolina native Edwin McCain, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Leon Russell at their performances at the Sylvia.
“It was jam packed,” Lee said.
County records show the 27 N. Congress St. address has a total market value of almost $165,000. The theater is a vibrant part of the York cultural scene, Lee said, and was integral in the city’s recent listing on a USA Today ranking of best small town cultural scenes in the country.
Response has been tremendous, the mayor said. Lee isn’t certain exactly what the future of the theater may be, but he’s confident it would make a good investment for someone interested in seeing a piece of York continue.
“I think it has to move forward,” Lee said of a deal. “It has a viable future because it’s had a very viable past.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2019 at 7:00 AM with the headline "One of the best known York County live entertainment venues is up for sale.."
