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The Taft Theatre is a 2,261-seat Art Deco performing arts venue at 317 East Fifth Street in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Constructed between 1925 and 1928 as part of the Masonic Temple Building by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the theatre was named in honour of Charles Phelps Taft, the older brother of President William Howard Taft, who chaired the building committee. Designed by local architect Harry Hake, the theatre originally seated 2,500 and quickly became one of Cincinnati's premier venues for vaudeville, touring road shows, and film screenings. In the 1960s, Scottish Rite applied twice for demolition permits, hoping to replace the building with a parking garage, but both applications were unsuccessful. The theatre survived and continued hosting a wide variety of entertainment. In 2010, Music and Event Management Inc., a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that also operates Riverbend Music Center, took over the lease and invested 3.2 million dollars in renovations funded primarily by businessman Carl Lindner Jr. and his wife Edyth. The renovation included new, larger seats (reducing capacity from 2,500 to 2,261), new carpeting, fresh paint in a warm colour scheme, expanded restroom facilities, and a new electrical system supporting air conditioning. Today the Taft Theatre hosts up to 135 booked nights annually, presenting concerts, comedy acts, touring Broadway productions, and the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. The venue also served as the temporary home for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops during Music Hall's own renovations. A designated Cincinnati Landmark, the Taft Theatre is accessible via the Cincinnati Connector at 4th and Main.