The long search for a new owner for the Pfeifer Theatre appears to be over. Stewardship of the theater, which UB has owned and operated since 1986, will become the responsibility of Joe Marcella and the other owners of Club Marcella within the next several weeks. The Pearl Street-based Marcella is known for its alternative forms of entertainment, most notably drag shows and all-gender strip performances. The building's selling price was originally set at approximately $500,000, but the final sale price will probably be less than that. UB spent $250,000 for initial improvements after taking control plus an annual $50,000 for the general upkeep of the theater.
With the Pfeifer's impending sale, UB severs its cultural ties with downtown Buffalo. While selling the theater may seem like a defeat and/or retreat for the university, it's the only prudent course of action. The university views Pfeifer as superfluous given the $52 million Center for the Arts constructed on North Campus in 1994. The center's four stages offer enough space for the university's theater productions, which is why the last UB-involved performance at the Pfeifer took place in spring of 2000.
No pressing need exists for the university to expend the effort necessary to maintain a building no one at the university needs. UB purchased the Pfeifer using a trust established with money donated by Samuel Pfeifer, a prominent Buffalo lawyer. Nothing stipulates the money must be used on the Pfeifer, only that it is available for the theater department to use.
Though UB has the right and the need to sell the theater, it must not do so capriciously. While the Pfeifer is not designated as a historical building, thus not protected from any physical changes new ownership wants to make, all parties involved must recognize its value. The theater has a history dating back to the 1930s when it housed the Town Casino nightclub. More recently, the Pfeifer was home to the venerable Studio Arena Theatre. Both the interior and exterior have undergone renovations and repair due to fire damage and general wear and tear. But that does not diminish its value as a viable architectural resource, one with the potential to entertain people and attract more Western New Yorkers to downtown Buffalo.
UB deserves credit for selling to businessmen who won't build another parking lot and who know how to provide entertainment. Marcella's owners, talented entrepreneurs as they may be, owe it to the community to be open and honest about their plans for Pfeifer. The entertainment at Club Marcella is decidedly not family-friendly fare. Club Marcella is perfectly within propriety inside the Daytona Beach-like atmosphere of Pearl Street and the Chippewa district. Pfeifer, located in the Theater District, caters to a different clientele. Marcella's owners must recognize their new location and try to tailor their attractions accordingly.
The university can and probably will be accused of abandoning the city, further isolating itself on UB Island. But UB cannot be the region's superhero as much of the local community demands it to be. It already contributes mightily, most notably the $1 billion annually pumped into the local economy. The university needs to look after its own interests before fretting over the city. Most of the responsibility for the city's well being rests with Mayor Anthony Masiello, the Buffalo Common Council and the county government. They would do well to look to UB for the resources it can realistically provide in the shape of volunteerism, student interns, and the amazing body of expert knowledge it holds. Instead of demanding direct financial support from UB, the community should seek out ways to learn from the university how to independently generate revenue, and develop a symbiotic relationship with UB.
The sale of the Pfeifer Theatre to Club Marcella is a logical business move, not a slap to the city. UB had no need for the theater. Hopefully, Marcella's can put it to good use.
