Basin PBS announced Tuesday that the process of renovating the old Ritz Theater location into its new headquarters will begin next year.

Officials are planning for a 2016 opening for the local public broadcast station.

The nonprofit unveiled its plans to rehabilitate the downtown Midland theater, which has been vacant since 2003. When the Ritz Theater project is complete, its exterior will be reminiscent of 1950s movie theaters, complete with a bright red marquee.

Currently, the local public broadcast station is split between three locations, according to Frank Deaderick, board chairman.

“We want to be very visible in downtown Midland, and this allows us to do that because we’re going to be a part of the rejuvenation of downtown Midland and we’re very excited about that and excited to be here,” Deaderick said.

The Ritz, which has been at its location since it opened in 1928, is in a state of neglect and disrepair. Onlookers to the press conference were greeted by rough concrete, crumbling stucco and a puddle of water from recent rains at the bottom of the seating area. But Basin PBS, which bought the building for $125,000, plans to spend at least $1.6 million between now and the building’s opening by early 2016 on renovations to create a state-of-the-art space. The organization successfully raised $2.7 million last year for the project, with the city of Midland contributing $900,000.

“The interior is going to get a whole new reconstruction replacing all of the existing systems in the building and create more efficient, sustainable systems,” said chief architect Jim Rhotenberry. “The exterior of the building is going to get a new façade that echoes the 1950s appearance of the theaters with a bright red Ritz marquee.”

The Ritz Theater has gone through multiple transformations in its 86-year history, morphing from a movie theater to a church meeting space and, most recently, from 2000-2003, as a nightclub. Zebra print still adorns the wall and ceiling on the inside of the entrance.

The Ritz Theater project has been billed as part of the revitalization of downtown, an initiative that the city has taken to bring new businesses and living areas to the downtown area. Though the city gave a substantial amount of money to Basin PBS, it was contingent on the station raising the majority of the money from private donations.

“Midlanders and a lot of organizations and foundations have put money into this project, and to see the Ritz come back to life is a big shot for downtown,” said Bobby Burns, president and CEO of the Midland Chamber of Commerce. “I think it is very special to preserve our history, and the Ritz is going to come back to life and I think all of the Midlanders are going to enjoy it.”

Midland Mayor Jerry Morales said that it is important for the city to have proper planning and strategies for dealing with older buildings downtown. While buildings with toxic material such as asbestos would likely be torn down, less contaminated structures should be repurposed and sold, he said.

Morales said that he has high hopes for the project at the Ritz.

“I think PBS will be able to make this a community center for downtown in particular, so it’s exciting to see that we don’t have to tear down all buildings and that some of these buildings can be revitalized and brought back to life,” Morales said. “There’s going to be a lot of energy coming out of the four walls here.”

Basin PBS was formed in 2005 to preserve public broadcasting in the Permian Basin area. But since its inception it has been without a home, split between its transmitting tower in Odessa, administrative offices at Midland International Airport, and engineering and equipment services in Midland, according to Deaderick.
http://www.mrt.com/business/article/Basin-PBS-to-breathe-new-life-into-Ritz-Theater-7415410.php
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