BEEVILLE, TX — Support for the Beeville Rialto Theater Preservation Association from the city council will allow the theater to re-open to the public.
"We thought this would be long done, but it's been very difficult for them to get the funding they needed,” Beeville resident James Taylor said.
Mark Parsons, the President of the Rialto Preservation Association, said efforts to restore the theater have been ongoing since 1991, relying on donations to get the work done.
"Since it was vacant for such a long time, it's taken a lot of money and a lot of volunteer hours to get it up and running,” Parsons said.
But now, the city council is in support.
"They had said 175,000 would help get us going,” Parsons said.
Mayor pro temp Benny Puente tells KRIS 6 he was hesitant to approve funding at first.
"I just had a lot of questions from the taxpayers. Why are we doing this and what is the reasoning and what's the information on the project,” Puente said.
With those questions answered, Puente changed his vote approving funding coming from the Beeville Economic Improvement Corporation.
"Besides being a landmark, it will be a multi-cultural performing arts center. That way, it will be available to people in the community,” Parsons said.
A space that can be used by anyone for special occasions or work events. James Taylor, who owns a dance studio, is anxiously awaiting for the day the doors open.
"It would be nice to have another place to put on a production and deepen how they do it. If they make it to be like a dinner theater or something like that would be nice. It could be an outlet for people to come in like traveling theater groups to bring in more culture into the town,” Taylor said.
Beeville city councilors plan to continue talking about funding for the theater and their next meeting on October 22.
