NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- The Riverview Village business community is trying to drum up support for the old Riverview Theater in Norfolk.
The owner is looking to sell the property to a developer who wants to transform it into a theater similar to the Commodore in downtown Portsmouth. The vision is to attract more retail and restaurants to the area. But the potential buyer wants to make sure there's adequate parking before the sale is finalized. The hope is to have the city of Norfolk purchase the adjoining lots and turn them into metered parking.
Ted Warren is the owner of Charlie's Café and president of the Riverview Village Business Association. He is heading the Rally for the Riverview campaign, asking city council members to get on board with the project.
"What we really need is for that lot to become a parking lot as soon as possible and that would help all the businesses. It's going to change the whole corridor. It would be a lot of tax money for the city," he said.
Built in 1944, the Riverview Theatre was a big attraction for many Norfolkians like George Habib. His shop, French Bakery has been a part of the family business for 102 years. It sits just a couple blocks away from the theater.
"Back then you had it jam packed with people and they were standing in line to go to the movies. They had the matinees in the evening, and people would come here, pay for their sandwiches and then go there," he said.
He remembers going to the theater to watch The Sound of Music back in the 1960s.
"I must have been about 12 or 13. Back then I think it must have been 50 cents," he said.
Today, the theater is boarded up, rusty, with peeling paint, corroded metal and warped wood. It's been vacant for over 20 years. Owner Richard Levin says the theater is real treasure—a historic gem that could potentially be the beginning of revitalization for the Riverview neighborhood.
The Riverview Village Business Association is planning to meet with Norfolk's economic development department in the coming weeks. In the meantime, they're asking the community to write letters to city council members to help gain support.