The Arcadia in the 1920s
Location: Kerrville, Texas—downtown, 717 Water Street, with back of the building on the Guadalupe River
Opened: June 29, 1926
Closed: 1988
Current status: Closed, structural renovation nearly complete, no danger of demolition, interior gutted
Current Ownership: The Arcadia Theater LLC (Steve and Shawnna Huser of the Huser Construction Company)
Seating capacity: 338 on the main level; 120 in the balcony
Style: Art deco (originally Spanish mission), with magnificent intact Art Deco foyer, featuring 8 Coming Attractions display cases, tiled ticket booth, and exterior neon tower beacon with the name of the theatre.
History: Three years following its closure, the Arcadia was bought by a private person, Carmen Avery. A nonprofit called The Arcadia Theatre Group was set up for the purpose of restoring the theatre. Not having met their goals, after twelve years the Arcadia Group dissolved, gifting the theatre to the City of Kerrville, along with $250,000 which they had raised for rehabilitation of the building. The City engaged an architectural firm, commissioned a feasibility study for a community events center in the theatre, set aside funds, and on two separate occasions put out a call for proposals for operation of the Arcadia. In 2009 the City approved a proposal by a local businessman and restaurateur, Mr. Hossein Hagigolam, for a New York-themed night club and sold it to him for $10, stipulating that $250,000 must be invested in its renovation and five years must pass before title would pass to him. When these obligations were met, Mr. Hagigolam brought a legal action against his contractor/partner, who countersued. The theatre was then embroiled in litigation for approximately a year. The case was finally settled out of court with the building contractor, Steve Huser, aquiring the Arcadia Theatre LLC in 2015.
Additional space:
– an office on Water Street
– public restrooms on Water Street, currently maintained by the City – conference room and 2 office spaces on the second floor
Parking: 800-car free municipal parking garage 1⁄2 block away, City Hall parking lot across the street, street parking, and nearby lot.
Nearby cultural venues: The Rio 10, 1.7 miles away, is a 10-screen multiplex showing first-run Hollywood movies. There are also a number of live performance venues and stages in the area, including the Cailloux Theater, the VK Garage, and an indoor and outdoor stage at The Point, Hill Country Arts Foundation.
Demographics: Kerrville is the county seat of Kerr County in the picturesque Texas Hill Country, about 100 miles southwest of Austin and 65 miles northwest of San Antonio. It has a population of 22,000 and serves as a commercial center for the surrounding three-county area of approximately 50,000. It is a popular destination for tourists and retirees because of its scenic beauty, pleasant climate and wildlife, and has a significant “snowbird” population during the winter months. In recent years new residents have begun to flow in from large Texas cities and other states, in particular California.