MONROE, N.C. — An old theater in the heart of downtown Monroe has a new lease on life.

The now-named Dowd Center Theatre has been a longtime tenant on the 100 block of South Main Street, sitting next to a sandwich shop and across from other restaurants.

Originally opened as a movie theater in 1940, it closed its doors in 1991 and has not reopened since, changing owners and renovation plans along the way, according to the City of Monroe.

In 2013, the city purchased the building and decided a combination of private and public funds could help bring it back.

“Why do we have to to go to different towns and different cities to have nice things? We’re a great city, we have so much to offer,” said Peter Hovanec, the city’s communications and tourism director.

Hovanec helped talk city council into buying the building and saving it after other efforts failed to make headway. After an injection of $7 million dollars of public and private money into renovations, the city’s dream turned into a reality.

“We’ve got a ton of great buildings, we’ve got a lot of history. We need the people, we need the people after hours. You bring the people in after hours, you get a little more restaurants, you get a little more nightlife,” Hovanec said in the new theater space. 

Featuring new seats, interior space, dressing rooms, nicer bathrooms and other upgraded amenities, the theatre is slowly making its return to public events. On October 15, Sierra Hull, a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist will take the stage. 

In recent weeks, the theatre has reopened for art exhibits, private donor events and the Union Symphony Orchestra.

The city purchased the theatre and the building next door, using the additional space to open a side lobby, which can be used for special events, art galleries and other needs. Two years of construction, with some pandemic-related delays throw in, pushed back an official public opening to this year.

Hovanec said the space will be used for musicians, concerts, comedians, theater and yes, the occasional movie.

When audiences arrive to the Dowd Center Theatre, they will have to walk by the desk of Lynn Price to get to their seats.

Price is no stranger to the Monroe theatre.

“The theatre kind of looks the same to me a little, but everything is so brand new and looks so great,” Price said from her desk.

Price is one of the theatre’s new employees with the official title of patron services assistant. She’s also a lifelong resident of Monroe and remembers coming to the theater back in the 1960s.

“I remember, specifically, my mother would put us in the car, and my daddy would drop my brother and I off here at 11 o’clock, and he’d pick us back up at 5 cause that was a free day. But it was great, because there were many friends and family members here. And, we just got to spend time together,” Price reflected on the old space.

At the time, the theater was segregated, so she’d walk up a staircase to see the show from the balcony.

Now, in the renovated building the staircase is open and a plaque nearby welcomes all to enjoy arts and entertainment.

“Gateway of Change: This entrance was once required for people of color. Now, it is a unified and inclusive space for all. In remembrance of the past and with an optimistic view of the future, the City of Monroe welcomes all people to enjoy the arts and entertainment in the Dowd Center Theatre,” the plaque reads.

A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is transcribed along the bottom of the plaque. 

Old memories, new hope

Outside the theatre, the owner of another Monroe icon, Oasis Sandwich Shop, has his theatre memories too.

“We used to go to the movies over there, on Saturdays, when we were little,” said Tim Ratliff. Ratliff said after a movie, he remembered often going to a nearby novelty shop.

Ratliff is just the third Oasis owner since 1933. The others? His aunt, and before her, close family friends. They’ve been next door to the old theatre for nearly 50 years and are glad to see it back.

“I think it’s going to make a tremendous business change in downtown, I think it’s going to draw businesses, a lot of functions over there, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Ratliff added.

The Oasis plans on being next door to the theatre for a few more decades after moving to its current location several decades ago. 

The combination of new improvements and old memories is giving people hope that it all sparks a revitalization to the downtown area.

“It’s so awesome to have it back up and running and so much better than it was before,” Price said.

“I think it’s going to change downtown Monroe,” Ratliff added.

Inside the Oasis, Libby Helms, a relative of Oasis’ original owner, said the renovated theater will be a great help to the downtown. 

“It’s wonderful that the Center Theatre is opening again, thanks to the endowment from the Dowd foundation and the city of Monroe. That will bring in so many wonderful opportunities for growth in the downtown. The Oasis will certainly thrive by that new addition to the city,” Helms said.

Helms said when the theater closed in 1991, Oasis staff and supporters were not particularly worried.

“Downtown was thriving at that point, we still had a Belk here downtown and lots of little shops and businesses. I don’t think there was much of a concern,” Helms said looking back.

Now, she said the renovated theater should help the downtown move in the right direction.

“The Oasis is an institution in Monroe. It opened on July 4th, 1933 by that same owner, our uncle,” Helms continued, “I think with the addition of the theatre opening back up again, it’s just going to have a wonderful impact on downtown.”