NORFOLK, Va. — A phone number has appeared on the marquee of Norfolk's historic Riverview Theater on Granby Street, signaling the building is available once again — and raising new questions about the future of a local landmark.
The number is visible to thousands of drivers who pass the theater daily. Efforts to reach the building's owner, Richard Levin, on Monday were unsuccessful.
John Childers, the owner of the nearby MJ's Tavern, had spent about three years and more than $1.5 million attempting to restore the theater.
"We're trying to renovate this place, bring it back to what it was in the 1940s and 1950s. We'll have an occasional movie, but we'll have a lot of live bands, some play productions. We'll have some orchestra, some music," Childers last told News 3 in March.
Childers told reporter Jay Greene that rising construction costs meant it would take another million dollars to complete the project, and that a financial partner had stepped away. He said he still had hope at that time.
In May, our partners at WHRO reported that Levin had bought back the landmark for $600,000 at auction, with plans to sell it again. The phone number on the marquee followed.
Childers confirmed with News 3 on Monday that his restoration effort had ended.
He declined an interview but said he hopes someone can come in and finish what he started, and that he is willing to advise where he can.
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