City-owned Villa Theater may see revival

SPRINGVILLE — The decades-old Villa Theater may get new life as the Rivoli Theater with a new fund the City Council set up Tuesday to collect donations.

But before the first efforts at remodeling the aged Main Street movie theater and playhouse begin, volunteers must raise $500,000.

The effort is key for the Springville Playhouse, which faces eviction from the library basement — its home for four decades — when that structure is razed in about 18 months. However, the newly refurbished Rivoli would be available for several uses, officials said.

Plans show a new layout with restrooms on the main floor, a new concession area and possibly a city souvenir store, said city recreation department director Chuck Keeler. The men's bathroom would be moved from the basement, which would be closed off to the public. The balcony, too, would be closed off, because it fails to meet modern building codes.

Instead, by rearranging the seating area, roughly 80 seats could be added to the more than 100 seats there now.

Entry into the auditorium would also be changed to avoid light washout when the doors are opened.

The council must still decide how it will use the theater, once remodeling is complete. It could be a for-profit theater or it could operate at break-even or subsidized levels, or strictly as a rental facility, Keeler said. If it is subsidized, initial figures show that the city would need to kick in about $100,000 annually to meet a $147,000 expense budget.

Because it is in a historical district, some Americans With Disabilities Act requirements could be waived, said Donna Breckenridge, a member of the theater committee. However, the theater would have wheelchair access.

Before work begins, Darrell Tucker, president of the Springville Playhouse, said he would like an architectural firm to look at the plans. One concern, Tucker said, is that is has only one exit.

Andy Shelline, who heads the committee, said he has already started assembling materials for the donation campaign.

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