CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Work is expected to begin next month on the historic Ritz Theatre downtown after receiving the final approval from the city council to utilize Type B funds for the project.
C.C. Patch, the nonprofit overseeing the restoration effort, was awarded $230,000 from the city on Tuesday. This money will be matched by the Texas Historical Commission through a Hurricane Harvey Grant.
The funds will be specifically allocated for weatherproofing the façade of the Ritz. However, the grant has a time-sensitive requirement, necessitating the completion of the work by the end of March.
The nonprofit has engaged OTJ Architects from Washington, D.C., to restore the venue to its former glory. This restoration work could span from 3 to 5 years.
"This is the people's theatre, this isn't ours, we're going to be gone one day and The RITZ theatre will up and the marquee will be on and there will be things happening and that community will be coming in so it's exciting," said C.C. Patch Executive Director Cheryl Votzmeyer-Rios.
The nonprofit will host a speaker series to support continuing fundraising endeavors. The first speaker in the series is Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who will speak on Nov. 30 at the BUS downtown. More information can be found here.