The Strand Theater's colorful history dates to 1914, when it was built by Italian immigrants Gioachino and Rosalia Sapienza. The couple later changed their names to Joe and Rosalie to fit their new American ways, and they were the first to run the theater.

The building was designed to be a grocery store, but the banker who financed the project convinced the couple that Zelienople needed a theater, so one side of the building became the theater; the other was the market.

In 1939, a complete renovation was done to convert the building exclusively into a movie theater.

The widow of a later owner put the building up for sale for $150,000.

Many plans for the theater came and went: an office building, a field office for the FBI, and eventually, when the structure was at its worst, demolition.

Ron Carter, president and executive director for the Strand Initiative, showed interest in the building in 2001 and was able to secure the money to buy the theater in June 2002.

Preservation Pennsylvania gave the initiative a grant and loan for $50,000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural development program guaranteed a $100,000 mortgage for the group to complete the sale. Fundraising money helped pay the mortgage, insurance and other costs.

In 2004, the group secured a $120,000 federal grant to repair the façade. In the same year, it was awarded $250,000 from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and $100,000 from the Buhl Foundation. In addition, the Initiative received a $250,000 anonymous grant that year, but to collect all that money, the Initiative had to raise $400,000 in matching funds on its own. In June of that year the group had raised $146,000.

"Everything along the process seemed to take longer than what I expected," Mr. Carter said. Getting everything in place was quite a learning experience for the Cranberry man. "It's not my agenda you need to follow," he said, "it's the agenda of all those people you're soliciting funds from."

In December 2005 the Initiative was awarded a $400,000 state grant that could be used as the matching funds to receive the Mellon and Buhl Foundation money and the anonymous grant.

Along the way, there was no shortage of grass-roots money-making efforts. During summer, movies were shown on the outside walls. In October, the theater would be host to the annual "Northern Nightmares" haunted tours. There were food tastings and variety shows, and sometimes, volunteers just asked for money. Then in 2008, the group received its latest grant, $150,000 from the Eden Hall Foundation.

The next phase for the theater will include a sprinkler system and elevator service and the addition of 100 seats. After that, Mr. Carter said, they will construct a third floor, a parking deck, a stage house and a multipurpose center.

Asked when will it be done, Mr. Carter responded, laughing, "One thing I've learned is that there are no time lines to follow."

But he can't help but hope that everything can be done for a special anniversary.

"My fantasy would be to complete all phases of construction … in time for the building's centennial year, which would be in 2014."