Restoration of The Ritz Theatre in downtown Corpus Christi set to 'reactivate' community
A storied downtown Corpus Christi building will soon take the first step toward being restored.
The Ritz Theatre is scheduled to reopen within 3 1/2 years, according to Cheryl Votzmeyer-Rios, executive director of Corpus Christi Positive Action Toward Cultural Heritage.
Votzmeyer-Rios said the makeover will restore the look the 1,400-seat theater had in 1929, with new state-of-the-art sound and technology.
The restoration finally gained momentum after the hiring of Votzmeyer-Rios in the nonprofit’s first paid position, a requirement from the Texas Historical Society to get the project going.
Votzmeyer-Rios said the nonprofit has raised $400,000 to $500,000 so far through grants and fundraising for the makeover, but more funding is still needed. The total cost of the project is unclear, she said, but "somewhere in the millions for sure.” A fundraiser event is set for June.
The nonprofit, known as Corpus Christi PATCH, hired OTJ Architects to help with the project.
The Washington-based firm has restored several theaters, including the Alameda Theatre in San Antonio and the Plaza Theatre in El Paso.
"OTJ told us the first year would be their team creating an analysis of the building and figuring out what the first step to the last step would be," Votzmeyer-Rios said.
Votzmeyer-Rios said Corpus Christi PATCH is working to get The Ritz Theatre recognized as a Texas Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
Aside from concerts, comedians and other live performances, Votzmeyer-Rios said the venue will be able to hold private events including weddings.
Votzmeyer-Rios said she and the nonprofit are excited to "reactivate" that area of downtown.
"Once the theater opens, it will generate more excitement for that area," Votzmeyer-Rios said. "It's going to be a beautiful experience for Corpus Christi."
A brief history of The Ritz Theatre
The Ritz Theatre, once one of the largest movie houses in the state with the latest technology, opened its doors on Christmas Day in 1929.
By the 1970s, people stopped frequenting downtown and instead traveled to the central and southern parts of town for shopping and entertainment. In August 1972, it was announced the Ritz would close for good at the end of the month.
Two years later, Joe Poses and Dave Miller reopened the theater as Ritz Music Hall, but, unable to convert the venue into a club to increase capacity, they declined to renew the lease in December 1975.
New owners took over the music hall in March 1976 and eventually closed the doors in 1989.
The theater sat empty until January 2006, when the nonprofit Corpus Christi PATCH, then led by Monica McLeod Sawyer, hosted the first event for the Ritz Revival.
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Restoration of Ritz Theatre in Corpus Christi set to 'reactivate' city
