Page 5 - TR Spirit of Batesville May 2016

THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRATGAZETTE • SPIRIT OF BATESVILLE SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2016 5SS
pand the business or buy new equipment.The grant will pay 75 percent of the cost, while the business will have to pay only the remaining percentage, he said.
Recently, Main Street Batesville completed the first block of its streetscape project, which changes the traffic pattern on the street and adds parking and beautification.The next phase of the streetscape project is to complete the lower four blocks. On the east end of Main Street, a gateway has been added next to St. Louis Street.
Another project that is in its early stages is the introduction of loft apartments downtown.While none has been put in yet, Williams said there are many people interested in installing apartments in the area.
Two restaurants are also set to open soon. One is Pinto, and the other is CIX Main Bar & Grill, which is the Roman numerals for the restaurant’s address.
One other big project that will soon be com- pleted is the renovation of the Melba Theater. This theater was originally constructed in 1875 as an opera house, converted into a mercantile store and eventually remodeled and reopened in 1940 and later became one of the state’s first CinemaScope theaters.The theater closed in the early 1990s and reopened in 2000. Last year, the theater was closed again, but it was purchased with the goal of reno- vating and reopening the building.
“We’ve been working and working,” said Joe Shell, co-owner of the theater.“Our goal is to open
Downtowns are becoming a lot better for small independent businesses, for lower rent and things like that, to try their idea and see if it can work and grow.”
— JoelWilliams, Executive Director of Main Street Batesville
at the end of July.That’s a pretty aggressive goal.” The theater had to have a lot of work done, Shell said. From removing asbestos to repairing water damage, the process took a long time, he said. Once renovations are complete, Shell said, the theater will show movies and present theater productions. He added that the Melba is an impor tant par t of the
revitalization of downtown.
“Our theory was and still is that the Melba is
an anchor building to the downtown area,” he said. “It’s going to bring a lot of people in, along with the restaurant and food business.”
WILLIAM HARVEY/THREE RIVERS EDITION
The Melba Theater in downtown Batesville has undergone a massive renovation this year. Owners expect to open the theater by the end of the summer.