The Ritz Theater at 222 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton is for sale for nearly $2.6 million, according to the owner and a real estate listing.
In December 2023, Josh Balz acquired the theater that was built in 1920 as a Vaudeville venue.
In 2024, Balz moved his Noir Dark Spirits bar/restaurant from 244 Penn Ave. to the nearby Ritz. Noir remains there, as do several commercial tenants, and Balz has continued to operate the theater as an entertainment spot.
But the past 15 months became a difficult time for Balz, starting with the death of his mother in September 2024. Then in January, Balz discovered alleged theft from the Ritz by a former business partner, James Olecki; and Balz sued Olecki in February. According to the lawsuit, Balz was majority owner and managing member of Ritz PAC LLC, Ritz Entertainment and Masterbalz LLC, which collectively owned and operated the Ritz Theater and Noir Dark Spirits Restaurant; and Olecki embezzled over $75,000 from theater operations.
On March 26, police charged Olecki with a felony count of theft by unlawful taking from business accounts of the theater, according to a criminal complaint. At the time, an attorney for Olecki issued a statement disputing the charge and describing Balz’s actions as a “hostile takeover of a business enterprise.”
The criminal charge against Olecki and Balz’s lawsuit remain pending in Lackawanna County Court. Both sides in the lawsuit agreed to put it on hold “pending full and final resolution of the criminal action” against Olecki, according to a Dec. 2 order issued in the lawsuit.
Against that backdrop, Balz — who has since become the 100% owner of the Ritz building and its underlying companies — said Friday in a phone interview that he became overwhelmed by events and his ventures and decided to put the Ritz up for sale to test the waters of the real estate market.
“I’m opening my options to see what’s out there, because currently I own 100% of the building and the companies,” Balz said. “It was kind of just to see what my options are.”
Whether he and Noir might remain as tenants remains “up for debate” with potential purchasers, he said.
“It’s just kind of to get my feelers out there,” he said of putting the Ritz up for sale. “I’ve had some conversations with some local people who might be interested in partnering up.”
Balz also said theater business operations are doing well and he has been “obsessed” with the building that once hosted the likes of Harry Houdini and George Burns and maintaining and improving it.
“We’re not hurting. We’re fine. We’re doing great,” Balz said. “I’m 36 years old and I own a piece of history. That building is a part of me, since the day I bought it.”
Grand reopening
On June 29, 2024, Balz and Olecki, along with Scranton Tomorrow and members of the Downtown Scranton Business District, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a grand reopening of the theater.
At the time, movies, concerts and other productions were held in the upstairs theater, and the building’s first floor featured the new, larger location of the Goth-themed Noir Dark Spirits restaurant, Thirteenth Realm Tattoo Studio, Vanity Artistry salon, Goblin Alchemy mead and axe throwing. Black Cow Cookies & Cream, a Goth ice cream and cookies shop, opened there later.
Vaudeville roots
The Ritz building began as the Poli, a vaudeville-era theater that opened in 1907. During its early years, the theater featured the likes of Harry Houdini, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, Buster Keaton, comedienne Fanny Brice, dancers Fred and Adele Astaire, Jack Benny, and George Burns and Gracie Allen. As the motion-picture era emerged, the Poli was purchased in 1925 by the Comerford Theater movie chain, which closed it four years later for upgrades and reopened it in 1930 as the Ritz. In the late 1930s, a total reconstruction ensued and the theater reopened in 1937 again as the Comerford, a grand movie palace with an art deco facade. Entertainers honing their chops in Scranton before taking to stages in New York City or Philadelphia gave rise to the saying, “If you can play Scranton, you can play anywhere.”
Through the ’60s and ’70s, the building was held by a succession of owners, including Cinecom Corp. As color television screens proliferated in living rooms, the motion picture industry contracted. First-floor retail was added over the orchestra level of the movie theater and the former mezzanine became the theater. It was renamed the Ritz in 1977. The building continued to change hands over the years. Competition mounted from a United Artists theater at the Mall at Steamtown and later Cinemark in Moosic, and the Ritz had converted to showing short-run movies.
Recent times
Attorney Scott Schermerhorn purchased the building through a foreclosure and renovated it in 2001 and 2002. In more recent years, the building had been home to the Creative and Performing Arts Academy and other tenants.
A news article published June 30, 2024, reported how Olecki and Balz came together: Olecki grew up in Hop Bottom, Susquehanna County, attended Marywood University and ran the Dickson City Civic Center, before moving to New York City. He lived there for 25 years and worked “as a fixer for celebrities and politicians.” After getting married, he moved to Clarks Summit and in 2022 got involved with CAPAA. As Olecki was working out a deal to buy the Ritz building, he met Balz, who opened Noir Dark Spirits in 2020. Balz also owns the Strange and Unusual Oddities Parlor in Kingston, with the Strange Brew coffee shop inside, and is a partner in Parlor Beverages root beer. Balz was looking for more space for Noir and asked about relocating Noir to the Ritz, and they ended up as partners.
The pair in May 2024 installed a new art deco style marquee to make a “curb appeal” statement and pay homage to the Ritz’s history.
Puttin’ the Ritz on the market
The three-story, 37,368-square-foot theater on a quarter-acre is 100% leased and for sale for $2,595,000, according to a listing by Lewith & Freeman Real Estate Inc. and posted on LoopNet.
A summary says: “An exceptional opportunity to own a piece of Scranton history. The iconic Ritz Theater, prominently located at 222 Wyoming Avenue in the heart of downtown Scranton, offers timeless architectural character and endless artistic (and revenue generating) potential. This magnificent building has hosted the likes of Harry Houdini, Lucille Ball, and is currently a hub of activity in the downtown. This well-known performance venue features a striking façade, soaring interior volumes, and original design elements that reflect the grandeur of early 20th-century theater architecture. The property’s flexible layout and generous square footage make it ideal for a variety of uses, including live entertainment, bar and restaurant location, event space, boutique cinema, mixed-use development, creative offices, or destination retail. Situated along bustling Wyoming Avenue, the property benefits from high visibility, strong pedestrian traffic, and proximity to restaurants, government offices, universities, and regional attractions. Its central location places it minutes from major highways and is a short 2 hour drive to both New York City and Philadelphia. The Ritz Theater presents a rare investment opportunity for developers, investors, or owner-users seeking a signature property with historical significance and downtown presence.”
Meanwhile, this past summer Balz hosted the Road to Warped Tour from June 12-15 at the Ritz and a parking lot across the street. He’s not sure if he will hold a Warped Tour event in 2026 at the Ritz or elsewhere in the city, saying he also might look to hold it in a different city.
The Ritz Theater on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton on June 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
The inside of The Ritz Theater in downtown Scranton on June 25, 2024. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)