Photo by Doug Duvall

The District government is turning the keys to the historic, but mostly unused Lincoln Theatre to I.M.P. Productions, the owner of the 9:30 Club and operator of several other venues around the D.C. area. The contract was awarded in April, but I.M.P.’s selection was kept secret until today when it was announced in a news release from the D.C. government and the company.

Located at 1215 U Street NW, the 90-year-old Lincoln Theatre was once considered the jewel of the neighborhood’s era as “Black Broadway.” But in recent years it has fallen into disuse and disrepair. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities took control of the venue in January 2012 and did some of its own programming, but then started looking for a contractor to take it over.

D.C. put out a request for proposals last December, looking for either a commercial or nonprofit entity with experience managing mid- to large-sized entertainment venues. But consistent booking isn’t the only thing the Lincoln needs. While the stage, auditorium, and dressing rooms are functional—if not the most modern—the building needs several infrastructural overhauls, including to its heating and air conditioning systems. Additionally, where I.M.P. might be concerned, the sound system could use a boost.

In addition to its flagship at the 9:30 Club, I.M.P. operates Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. and also books shows at venues including DAR Constitution Hall and U Street Music Hall, and occasionally at arenas including the Verizon Center and Patriot Center.

DCCAH held a public meeting in February during which numerous D.C. residents concerned with the Lincoln’s future asked the commission to give the theater over to an operator committed to booking entertainment with strong ties to the local community. I.M.P. has been running shows in D.C. for 33 years, but its bailiwick is regional and national touring acts.

“The new vision for the theater represents the growing diversity of our city,” DCCAH executive director Lionell Thomas says in a news release.

For his part, Seth Hurwitz, I.M.P.’s chairman, says the Lincoln could become an in-town venue for many of the shows the company books in its suburban venues, such as Strathmore.

“There are so many kinds of shows that we are not able to do at 9:30 Club that we will now have a place for, including many that we had to take out of the city,” Hurwitz says in the release. “Although we have been doing this for 33 years, we have added very few venues in our family roster. But this one we couldn’t pass up. The Lincoln is just too cool not to do.”