For decades, the Royal Theater has stood as a landmark in downtown Guadalupe. Now, city leaders say they are one step closer to bringing it back to life, launching a capital campaign to raise the final $3 million needed to complete the project.
For many in Guadalupe, the Royal Theater is more than just an old building, it is a place filled with memories.
"I saw 'The Blob' right here at the Royal Theater and that moved me," said Richard Segovia, Guadalupe resident. "It was really scary at the time. I don't remember what it was. I know I was young."
"I remember in the early 70s going to the movies there," said Jesus Ramirez, Royal Theater volunteer. "I saw 'Night of the Living Dead!'"
Guadalupe City Councilmember Amelia Villegas also recalled the theater's place in the community's history.
"As a kid, the big thrill was to go to the Royal Theater on the weekend," Villegas said. "When you became 12 years old, I think it was, the entrance fee was 25 cents. It was the biggest fun we had on weekends growing up here in Guadalupe."
Inside, the theatre is already beginning to take shape. Renovations include updated ADA accessibility improvements, a restored lobby, and the return of historic-style seating designed to preserve the building's original character.
"Right here in the middle was the concession stand, and then on the sides here that we have newly framed, this would have been the entrances down into the theater complex," explained David Trujillo, Guadalupe City Administrator.
The city has already secured more than $10 million through federal, state, and local funding sources, but officials say about $3 million is still needed to complete the full vision for the site.
"The main core goal is to kind of bring an anchor to Guadalupe, something that we can kind of build around and at the same time show, you know, any incoming builders or investors that building and developing Guadalupe is still feasible," Trujillo said.
Capital Campaign Coordinator Tom Brandeberry said several key elements of the project depend on the remaining funds.
"The plaza that we have planned for, the amphitheater that we have planned for, the back building, the one-story building that we'll have, industrial kitchens and classrooms, that won't get finished. The plaza and the amphitheater won't get done because they're the pieces that the capital campaign is trying to find the money for," Brandeberry said.
Organizers say construction on the Royal Theater is expected to be nearly complete by March of next year.
