Benedum Center undergoing marquee makeover
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — You may notice a couple of things missing the next time you see a show at the Benedum Center.
The bright, blinking marquees outside the Benedum Center are the highlight of Penn Avenue and 7th Street in Downtown Pittsburgh. But over the next couple of months, the marquees will be missing in action while undergoing a much-needed makeover.
This week, the marquee on the Penn Avenue side of the center was detached, hoisted onto a truck and hauled away to a repair shop in Carnegie. The main marquee was also removed for repairs.
"It will look exactly the same. But just newer, fresher, brighter, more vibrant and just help restore this grand theater to its original construction," said Nick Gigante, senior vice president of development and real estate at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
The historic marquees have been around for decades, and neither has cheated time with rust and deterioration. The nips and tucks they are receiving will help them keep their nostalgic charm while showing some modern technology.
"There's some delicate metalwork that has to happen. There are thousands of twinkle lights, we call them chaser lights, that are on the marquee. Some of those sockets are being restored and will have all LED lights," Gigante told KDKA-TV.
The marquee makeover is part of a bigger series of renovations outside and inside the center to help improve the guest experience.
"There are going to be some improvements to the house lighting system and sound system at the Benedum Center, some other improvements at some point to elevators and the beautiful chandeliers," said Gigante.
Leaders at the Cultural Trust recently finished a campaign allowing them to make these upgrades. The Penn Avenue marquee should be completed in a couple of weeks and the 7th Street marquee should be finished in a couple of months.