When local developers Todd Baughman and Bob Thurber of One Central Commons took ownership of the former Wadsworth Central Intermediate School in January 2025, the business partners had several ideas for rehabilitating most of the 111,420-square-foot, 110-plus-year-old building. Exactly what to do with its crown jewel – a venerable 800-plus-seat theater and performance stage – was less certain.
“I knew them, so I texted them congratulations when I heard they won the bid,” said Tom Weyand, executive director of the Wadsworth Square Foundation, the nonprofit formed after the purchase. “They said they had plans for most of the building, but when I asked ‘what’s up with the theater?’ they asked me to come up with a proposal.”
A small-business owner and musician himself, Weyand was naturally intrigued by the possibilities for the then-O.J. Work Auditorium. He said he researched a number of options for the space, which included visits to historic theaters throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“We learned what they were doing right – and not right,” Weyand said. “They were very open (to talking to us) and giving us ideas.”…