Business View Magazine | February 2018

120 121 “We also brought back the LevoyTheatre,which is our gem,” says Santiago.“When you come through High Street, you see the lights lit up.”First opened in 1908, the Levoy was originally a theatre and dance hall, then a venue for Vaudeville and silent films, and then a Warner Brothers’ownedmovie palace. Due to increasing competition fromTV and newer suburban movie theaters, as well as its deteriorat- ing physical condition, the Levoyclosed its doors in 1974.In themid 1980s the store space on the ground floor was reopened for leasing,and the second floor mezzaninewas torn out to create residential apart- ments.Alocal non-profit group,the LevoyTheatre Preservation Society,struggled for years to raisemoney in order to purchase and redevelop the theatre, and finally, in 2010, a multi-million-dollar financial package containing a combination of tax credits, private, and public funds was compiled,andworkon the restoration of the theatre began shortly thereafter. The LevoyTheatre successfully re-opened in Septem- ber,2012.Much of the building’s new interior was modeled and matched to the historic features of the century-old venue; it features a small entrance lobby, followed by a larger ground-floor lobby, and a grand staircase leading to a mezzanine lobby.The new theatre seats about 700 patrons, has state-of- art sound and lighting,and a levitating orchestra pit. Santiago believes that Millville is on the verge of a rebirth.There are more renovation projects in the works, including a new senior housing project based in another older building and a condominium project planned along the Maurice River.“We’re sit- ting in the center of South Jersey; you have to come through this city to hit some of our shore points,” PREFERRED VENDOR n Flaster/Greenberg, PC www.flastergreenberg.com Flaster Greenberg PC is a commercial law firm with offices in NJ, PA, NY and DE. Our attorneys each bring unique skills and relat- ed experience to help carry out the success- ful completion of our clients’ projects. Our multi-disciplined approach provides clients with a wide array of legal and strategic plan- ning solutions related to many issues, including regulatory compliance, the changing environ- mental landscape, real estate, land use, con- struction disputes, alternative energy, financing, tax structuring, corporate, IP, risk management, and labor issues. For more information, please visit www.flastergreenberg.com. MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY the mayor exclaims. “We have State High- way 55 that runs right through our city,andwe are trying tomarket our airport and industrial park to get interested buyers to come in and open up businesses. Our downtown is very vibrant. It’s all in our favor.What we need to do now is grab the ball and move for- ward. The opportuni-