Originally Published in the Daily Local

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, outside the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, discussing her efforts to secure desperately needed funds to keep venues like these open in Chester and Berks counties.

PHOENIXVILLE — Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) this week visited the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville where she celebrated a successful effort to aid these struggling venues in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is a huge win for our community,” said Houlahan. “Our local movie theatres provide entertainment, a source of community, and economic opportunity for not only their employees, but neighboring restaurants and industry. They’re a vital aspect of a local economy, which is why I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure they got the support they needed to weather this crisis and make it out the other side.”

After hearing from local theatres and businesses about the issues with the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) Program, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan quickly assembled a bipartisan coalition of 200+ members of Congress to demand the SBA expedite the release of relief funding to struggling venues across the country. The effort has proved successful in Chester and Berks Counties, as theatres and other venues have gotten the funding and will continue to provide entertainment for Chester and Berks counties.

“Organizations like our Colonial Theatre are the very heart and soul of our community,” said Mayor Peter J. Urscheler, Borough of Phoenixville. “The Colonial has seen Phoenixville through many seasons. Over 22 years ago, its re-opening spurred our economic revitalization by inspiring numerous restaurants and shops to open again in our historic Downtown. Representative Houlahan’s effort through the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant has ensured that our iconic Colonial Theatre will continue to inspire residents to dream, create and gather well into the future.”

“The SVOG funds the Colonial Theatre received today could not have come sooner,” said Ken Metzner, Executive Director, Colonial Theatre. “They will go a long way in sustaining us as audiences slowly return to our spaces and revenue begins to return to sustainable levels. I am grateful to Representative Houlahan for not only listening to our issues but for supporting us, and small venues like ours, down in Washington.”

“Without Representative Houlahan, my company, Fox Theatres, would not have survived,” said Donald Fox, President & CEO, FOX THEATRES LLC. “In December, the 15 billion-dollar Shuttered Venues Operator Grant program, SVOG, with Chrissy Houlahan as a sponsor, passed Congress and was signed into law. What was then a cause for celebration soon became a new long and challenging setback for all of us. Over the next six months, businesses teetering on the brink of bankruptcy waited anxiously while the Small Business Administration struggled to get the program up and running. There were many delays, but we are thrilled and pleased that our business finally secured its grant. Our good fortune wasn’t all luck. We had Chrissy, who had our back. For Fox Theatres, the show indeed will go on.”