NORFOLK, Va. — Rising construction costs and a recent funding setback are complicating efforts to bring a long-closed historic theater in Norfolk’s Riverview neighborhood back to life.
The group leading the renovation of the Riverview Theater says the project now needs roughly $1 million more to move forward — even after more than $1.5 million has already been invested into the building.
“Not counting the price of the theater… I had it like a million dollars, and now we’re up just about 2.5,” managing partner John Childers said. “We’ve already put over a million and a half into it… so we still need another million to finish this project.”
Childers said rising material prices and supply challenges following the pandemic have pushed renovation costs higher than originally expected. The effort also recently lost one financial partner who had to step away due to personal circumstances, creating additional uncertainty for the timeline.
Even so, Childers, who is the owner of MJ's Tavern, up the street, says he remains optimistic the theater could reopen as early as 2026.
“If we could find the money today, we will be open within six months… that’s the goal,” he said.
The single-screen theater, which first opened in 1947, spans just over 15,000 square feet along Granby Street. Childers and several partners purchased the property in mid-2023 for nearly $900,000 with initial hopes of completing renovations by fall 2024.
Instead, the project has stretched longer as costs have climbed.
Still, the vision for the historic venue remains largely the same — a multipurpose entertainment space that blends nostalgia with modern community use.
“We’re trying to renovate this place, bring it back to what it was back in the 1940s and 50s,” Childers said. “We’ll have an occasional movie, but we’ll have a lot of live bands… some play productions… some orchestra… just a great community place.”
Plans call for the main floor of the theater to accommodate about 470 people once renovations are complete, creating a sizable venue for concerts, performances and neighborhood events.
Upstairs, renovation work includes converting the former projection room and what was once known as a “crying room” — where parents could take infants during movie showings — into a VIP suite designed to hold around 50 guests. The space is expected to include a bar and overlook the stage, along with a small office area.
Childers says preserving the building’s historic character is central to the effort.
“This building is a historic building… it doesn’t need to fall into any more disrepair, torn down and made into a mini mall or something like that,” he said. “My goal here is to fix it… and make it better and help better the neighborhood and the city.”
The Riverview Theater once served as a gathering place for residents from nearby neighborhoods including Riverview, Park Place and Colonial Place. Childers says many longtime customers still share memories of attending shows there as children.
“I have customers who were in their 80s and 90s whose parents would bring them here… they got popcorn for a nickel,” he said. “I want people to be able to bring their friends here and celebrate and be part of the community.”
He also believes reopening the theater could help bring more foot traffic to nearby small businesses along the corridor.
“I want this theater to be a cornerstone,” Childers said. “It anchors people to come into local shops… and that’s what we hope to drive, is being a driving force for the neighborhood.”
For now, renovation work continues in phases as the group searches for investors and explores other funding options.
Childers says his goal is to ensure the historic building does not fade further into disrepair — but instead becomes a renewed symbol of neighborhood pride.
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