BEEVILLE, Texas — The Hall-Rialto Preservation Association is at the center of efforts to preserve the iconic Beeville theater's history.
According to Mark Parsons, the association's president, it is thanks to community donations that the organization has raised enough money to buy new chairs from Missouri.
"These are the great chairs that we received out of Branson, Missouri," Parsons said. "A couple of our board members actually flew there and hand-selected the chairs because it had quite a few more in the auditorium. So, we have about 360 chairs in the auditorium and we still have some extras that we can put up in the balcony."
The association raised about $1.1 million since it was formed in 1991. The theater's been closed since 1985 but was originally opened more than 100 years ago.
"We're just trying to update it, you know, make it where it's a little bit more user-friendly, because we, like I said, we want to have it as a performing arts center as well as show old movies," Parsons said. "I think the old films would be wonderful to do."
He said it cost $16,000 to put new seats in the auditorium and more could eventually be added to the balcony. Many people have shared stories with him about how the theater was where they had their first date or saw a classic film. Parsons said restoring the theater can show the community it belongs to them.
"I think it's going to be just as beautiful as it was when it first opened," Parsons said. "It's going to really be the star of Beeville, because a lot of the downtown area needs to be revitalized and this will bring life back to it again."
He said the theater could be reopened by mid-2025 depending on financing, and those interested in donating can reach out to him directly.
The next major step is installing lighting and sound and he added they are currently working on cosmetics, plumbing and more.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Missing Corpus Christi woman; reported found Friday evening
- Staying safe behind the wheel and steering clear of road rage
- More than 20 Aquarium turtles on path to recovery following January cold front
- Alice ends Stage Two water restrictions Monday
- What has all these wing restaurants flying to Corpus Christi?
- Beach permits for 2024 are now available for purchase
- The 'Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers' at TAMU-CC, additional archives help keep his memory alive
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.
Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!
Email tell3@kiiitv.com so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.