ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. -- There is new hope for an old theater on St. Pete Beach.
- Attendance, financial issues forced closure in 2012
- Theatre has remained closed because of legal process
- Officials want to work with owner's family to restore venue
The iconic Beach Theatre on Corey Avenue was a staple in the community for more than 70 years.
Low attendance and financial woes caused the owner to close the doors in 2012. Mayor Alan Johnson said the owner passed away, and the keys to the theater have been locked up in the legal process for the last few years.
He hopes that will soon change.
"We'd love to see it come back, and everybody tells me they want the theater, they want something there as an entertainment facility," Johnson said.
Johnson and the city commission want to work with the owner's family and help them find the right person to take over. He wants the next owner to preserve the theater's history and envisions providing anything from movies to live entertainment, and a mixed-use space.
"We don't have an attraction on the beach. And anything like the theater could bring people here for reasons other than the beach and let them understand that we've got a great little culture here," Johnson said.
Burke Prevratil owns an antique store next to the theater and remembers when it was thriving.
"I saw all kinds of pictures there. My favorite memory was seeing Monday Night Football games in there," Prevratil said.
St. Pete Beach business owners and city leaders hope the theater will bring more business to the area. The mayor said the idea is still in the very early stages but hopes to see something in place at the Beach Theatre sometime in the next year.