Ro Na Theater

Ro-Na Theater

The Ro-Na Theater opened in 1949 in downtown Ironton, Ohio, and featured intricate murals of local history along with first-run movies before closing and becoming an auto parts store. It was abandoned in the 1980s and is now being restored.

History

The Ro-Na Theater opened in 1949 along South Third Street in downtown Ironton, Ohio, and was billed as southern Ohio’s “finest theater” when it opened.(4)(7) Among the most prominent features of the theater were the murals on the interior, that depicted various historical scenes from the tri-state region. The theater closed in the 1970s, and later hosted an auto-parts store.(7)(9)(10)

In January 2008, the Hampton family, the owners of the theater, expressed interest in donating the former Ro-Na to the city of Ironton.(3) The city’s legal counsel began reviewing the deed to the Ro-Na for a possible transfer to the city.(1) If the property is transferred, the city and the Ironton Port Authority proposed to seek grants and other funding measures to restore the theater into a performing arts center for Ohio University-Southern.

The deed to the Ro-Na was transferred to the city in February.(3)(10)

In May, the Public Utility Committee of the Ironton City Council established a goal of constructing a new roof over the Ro-Na before the winter season.(2) The cost of the new roof would be approximately $120,000. In June, the city began gathering proposals for a structural assessment of the theater.(3) A preliminary report released in June stated that the building was in good structural condition, although it required a new roof.(4)

On June 26, the city unanimously voted to hire an engineer to review the Ro-Na Theater property in a city council meeting.(5)(6) A report listing the deficiencies and what repairs need to be made would be turned over to the city’s consulting architect.

One month later, on July 12, city councilmen hosted a volunteering effort to clean up the debris inside the former theater.(6) Rumpke donated free dumpsters for use in the project.(9) This was followed up with a “white elephant” sale on August 2, which consisted of items that were donated from various businesses and residents.(8) All of the proceeds were donated to the theater restoration effort.(7) On September 5, the Tri-State Building and Construction Trades Council, a collection of various regional unions, offered to clear debris from the theater for free.(9) After fewer than three hours, the workers had filled two dumpsters and a dump truck full of debris.

Work began on removing the roof in mid-July 2009 in preparation for its replacement.(11)

A fundraising campaign to raise nearly $200,000 in donations to complete phase one of the theater’s restoration kicked off on the last week in July.(10) Donations from the start began to “pour in,” many from contractors and out-of-town businesses that received work in the city to support the continued redevelopment of not only the Ro-Na, but of surrounding downtown properties.

The city of Ironton pledged to pick up its portion of the roofing and decking bill with monies currently allocated in the city’s Debt Retirement Sinking Fund as part of phase one.(10) The account, used to make improvements to specific assets otherwise not covered in the budget, is funded through the sale of city assets and does not require any taxpayer money. Phase two involves rebuilding the facade and interior of the theater, while phase three focuses on restoring the intricate details that once adorned the interior. Community development block grants will be requested for phase two.

On September 29, the City Council’s Finance Committee recommended two ordinances that would allow the city to fund a pair of bids to replace the roof and metal decking of the theater.(12) The ordinances will come before council for a vote on October 8. The city is projected to fund $129,000 of the $187,000 estimated price tag. The remainder will be offset by contributions and pledges.

Gallery

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