LIBERTY — Walking into the Liberty Theater on South Main Street feels like walking into a time capsule. Above the stage sit hand-painted backdrops which have not seen natural sunlight in decades. Old film reels and poster advertisements for cigarettes are just a few of the long forgotten artifacts Bruce Davidson has found.

With the help of Davidson, a local business owner, developer and community volunteer, The Village of Liberty earned $1 million from a Restore New York grant last year. That money is going towards reopening the theater that dates back to the early 1920s, but has been vacant since 2005.

“The reason for the project was to try and breathe life back into Liberty,” Davidson said.

He explained how they're making good progress on the first phase of the renovations. The interior has been gutted to make room for a new lobby, handicap accessible bathrooms, a concession stand, bar and coat room.

Davidson said they intend to preserve as much of the original building as possible, including the original tin ceiling tiles, window frames, oak floors and even some of the original theater seats.

“In its day, I think it sat almost 900 people,” Davidson said. “There's almost 200 seats on the balcony alone.”

A replica of the original marquee is being built to include LED lights.

Davidson envisions the renovated venue will offer dinner theater as well as a drop down screen for movies.

Davidson said progress has been slowed by getting the necessary approvals to satisfy the Restore New York grant and federal preservation rules.

He said they're still waiting for final approval for the five storefronts that are part of the building which could become cafes, bakeries or other businesses.

The building includes office space above the theater which at one time belonged to a law practice. Davidson said there has already been interest in leasing that space.

Standing in the back of the theater where the ceiling is some four stories tall, you can hear your voice echo and carry up. A circular staircase climbs up to the old dressing rooms.

“We have to build the walls out and insulate it. You couldn't possibly heat this room without insulation,” Davidson said, while commenting that they're going to restore the stage to its original state.

While the application for state grant funds began during the tenure of then Acting Supervisor Russell Reeves, current Supervisor Brian Rourke is optimistic about its positive impact on the town.

“We have made numerous ‘base hits' towards turning our community around in the last few years but the theater project could very well become the centerpiece of an exciting large-scale downtown redevelopment of Liberty and the ‘home-run' we need to spark interest among other developers,” Rourke said.

“The theater is situated right in the center of Liberty's Downtown Historic District and once was a hub for the arts and other social activity,” Rourke continued. “Its preservation, renovation and re-use will further restore a sense of pride to our main street, offer leisure time activities and create much needed economic activity. Bringing back the theater with the aid of Restore and other grant funding is painstaking but I have full confidence that Bruce and his family, who have roots in Liberty for several generations, are up to the task.”

Davidson says phase one of the project should be done within a year and the renovated theater could open by 2023