Springville's Villa Theater may get new life

SPRINGVILLE — The Villa Theater may get new life if residents can gather enough money to refurbish the former movie theater and playhouse.

City officials may form a foundation to bring the theater back to life as a center for the arts.

Now under city ownership, the building is sitting idle. But the Springville Arts Council recently recommended to the City Council that a newly formed committee go to work to raise $500,000 to bring the historic Art City structure back.

Only volunteer work would be done on the Main Street building until the group raises the total amount, spokesman Andy Shelline told the City Council this week.

"It's an older building," Councilman Neil Strong said. "The city will likely need to spend some money or end up with a bigger problem. It will take a lot of work to get this started."

However, the council would support the effort to create a nonprofit foundation, Councilman Mark Packard said. That would make donations tax deductible.

— Rodger L. Hardy