SPRINGFIELD, Missouri (KY3) – An old theater in downtown Springfield is getting new life.

The former Hollywood Theater is being extensively renovated and reopened under a new name.

“I am very surprised,” said Christian Banks.

He and Gabriel Price said they thought the old Hollywood Theater in downtown Springfield would remain closed.

“I expected it wouldn’t reopen like other buildings in Springfield,” Banks said.

Price said: “I was expecting them not to reopen. I was told they had closed due to bankruptcy.”

Regal dimmed the lights at its theaters for good in 2023 after parent company Cineworld Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2022.

“I just remember the nostalgia. It’s definitely been a minute since I was up there. The last time I was there I was 13,” Price said.

Soon, the pair will be able to enjoy a blockbuster when the renamed College Station Theaters opens in the fall. Tillman Redevelopment LLC, owner of the property, has decided not to sell or lease the defunct theater, but to revive it. Crews are currently working to complete upgrades, which include new sound systems, projectors and even heated reclining seats. They are aiming for a late November opening.

“We are so excited to see what this will become,” said Hailey Magnus of It’s All Downtown.

She says the corner of Campbell and College is slowly coming to life and that the renovation of the old theater will boost economic development in the downtown district.

“For example, the Blue Room Comedy Club is bringing in incredible new acts. We just opened a restaurant there, Momma G’s Kitchen, which is amazing. All of that combined with the theater reopening makes it a really great place to hang out,” she said.

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