Construction work is starting soon on the historic Regal Theater in the West End. Community leaders gathered outside the more than a century-old theater on Linn Street Wednesday to celebrate the occasion.
Renovations will begin with a roof replacement, which will prepare the theater for interior work and prevent further damage. Once complete, the Regal will reopen as the Robert O'Neal Multicultural Arts Center, named after Cincinnati community activist and artist, Robert O'Neal, who died in 2018.
The center's CEO and founder is O'Neal's daughter, Toilynn O'Neal Turner. She says the new center, which will serve as a hub for Black art and culture, has been years in the making and is one big step closer to breathing life back into the historic space.
"Even though we have a lot of work to do still, this is a milestone that is so significant to this community," she said Wednesday. "We are at a point where we can actually move this project forward."
Since opening in 1914, the Regal Theater entertained West End residents for more than 80 years before closing its doors in 1996. It's sat idle ever since.
Galen Gordon from the West End Community Council says he expects its reopening to energize the community.
"This is more than bricks and mortar. This building has stood as a landmark in our community for generations, and now it begins a new chapter as a place where culture, creativity, education, and opportunity can come together under one roof," Gordon said.
The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023, and has funding from the city of Cincinnati, the state of Ohio, and several local foundations for the renovation.
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