Ritz Theater

The place

The 1938 Ritz Theater in downtown Malvern was donated to Arkansas State University-Three Rivers — a small-town movie house handed to a college that could put it back to work.

Phase by phase

The rehabilitation began at the street: the historic facade restored and a re-created neon marquee installed, which is the piece the town notices. With grant funding from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, the work continues inside — the lobby interior is currently under construction, and the auditorium is planned for the next phase.

Why phasing works

A theater is a large, expensive room, and waiting for the full budget usually means waiting forever. Restoring the facade and the marquee first gives donors and the community something visible to believe in, and each completed phase makes the next one easier to fund. The building earns its own momentum.

Project team

• Architect of RecordSCM Architects, Little Rock, Ark.