Shauna Steigerwald

ssteigerwald@enquirer.com

Woodward Theater, the Over-the-Rhine music venue in the works from the owners of MOTR Pub, took a big step forward Wednesday.

Owners Dan McCabe, Christopher Schadler, Chris Varias and Matt Barth signed the last of the financial paperwork needed to complete the $1.25 million renovation of the 101-year-old, beaux-arts style theater.

The new loan combines SBA 504 loan financing from HCDC Business Lending and a loan from the Cincinnati Development Fund.

That funding, and the recently approved building plans and permits, put the venue on track to open this fall, McCabe said.

"This new partnership will put the Woodward Theater back to work as a catalyst for Main Street, the regional gateway to Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine," McCabe said in a press release.

The venue, which is directly across the street from MOTR, will have room for about 600 people, a complement to the bar's 150-person show capacity. Ticketed shows at the Woodward will start at 7 p.m. and end around 11 p.m. Headliners for the free shows at MOTR typically go on around 10 p.m.

McCabe believes the new venue will fill a niche in the city's music community as a place for artists who've outgrown neighborhood bars and are ready to graduate to a larger room. He has booked acts for the MidPoint Music Festival since 2008 and said to expect him and his partners to bring similar types of acts, namely new artists, to Woodward Theater.

1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. www.facebook.com/TheWoodwardTheater