Plymouth’s Penn Theatre wins dispute with city over property tax exemptions

Historic Penn Theatre will remain open after winning a long battle with the city of Plymouth over property tax exemptions.

Penn Theatre announced on Facebook that it received property a tax exemption after a 32 month-long fight with the City of Plymouth.

The dispute was settled when the Michigan Tax Tribunal judge said that “Friends of the Penn,” the group that runs the Penn Theatre, is a qualifying charitable institution and that the Penn also qualifies as a non-profit theatre.

“Friends of the Penn” purchased the building in 2021 outright for $1.2 million and put another million dollars into the renovations.

The city denied their request for a tax exemption station, saying the theatre had not met the qualifications required of a nonprofit to meet that tax-exempt status.

Penn Theatre is open Thursday-Sunday. For showtimes, visit Penn Theatre’s website.