Houston mayor announces plans for historic River Oaks Theatre
2/2/2022 - On Wednesday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner made a big announcement about the future of the Historic River Oaks Theatre.
It will now become an upscale dine-in theater while also preserving the 80-year history and design of the building.
"It is the spot where a whole lot of magical moments happen in Houston," said Kyle Vaughn.
Vaughn is a part of "Friends of River Oaks Theatre", a group that was formed by concerned Houstonians after news broke last year that River Oaks Theatre was shutting its doors.
"The concept of this becoming a Trader Joes or a parking lot broke my heart." Vaughn said.
Kimco Realty entered into a long-term lease with the owner Omar Khan to reopen the River Oaks Theatre.
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The venue will keep its name and remain an art-house theater. Kimco Realty, an affiliate of Star Cinema Grill, will transform the historic venue into an upscale dine-in theatre concept with top-notch food and beverages and what they describe as new cutting-edge theatre amenities.
"Holding onto the culture, the personality, and the art of our city," Turner said.
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The Mayor says initially the fate of River Oaks Theatre didn’t look promising, but the Houstonians who sent emails, and made calls speaking up played a major part in saving the theatre.
"People are listening, people do care; they recognize how important preserving and enhancing the River Oaks Theatre is, so let me just thank all the people who spoke up," said Turner.
The city says there’s a lot of renovation work and things to get in order before a grand opening will be announced, but of course we’ll follow the progress and keep you up to date.