Luverne Seifert in Gremlin Theatre's "Behanding in Spokane." Photo by Aaron Fenster.

Gremlin Theatre will leave its theater space on University Avenue in St. Paul in July, when its lease at 2400 University Avenue expires.The 115-seat theater has been home to Gremlin since 2008.

The building's landlords are looking to possibly develop the building, said Peter Christian Hansen, Gremlin's artistic director, and don't want to offer the theater a longterm lease extension. Rather than than sign a short-term lease, the troupe decided to leave. Hanson also cited challenges posed by the light rail line construction on University Avenue between St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Gremlin has begun looking for a new space, and intends to keep producing shows in the meantime. Gremlin has produced about 15 of its own shows there, including, most recently, "A Behanding In Spokane," directed by Matt Sciple, in December 2012. It also has rented to such other local companies as Theatre Pro Rata, Teatro del Pueblo and Center for Hmong Art Talent.

Gremlin opens "Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Pirandello in March, and plans a final show in its space in June. The small theater has long resided in St. Paul. It built out a space downtown at the Loading Dock that served as its home from 2002 to 2008, when it moved to the Raymond-University neighborhood. Hansen said that he's confident that Gremlin will make a go of it at a new space of about the same size as the one it's vacating this summer.