This September, The National Register of Historic Places will consider the application for listing the Ridglea Theater. The process is very similar to the restoration of the theater—moving slowly, but surely, and very purposefully.

“Everybody that I talk to about the Ridglea wants to know when it’ll reopen,” noted Jerry Shults, new owner of the complex. “Believe me, I want it up and running quicker than anyone, and we’re making great progress,” he assured.

After being officially listed in The National Register, tearing down any of the buildings will be virtually impossible. When made, the final determination will also help focus efforts on restorations, enhancements, and building the business.

The theater is about to enter Demolition Stage Two. This involves removing portions of the interior that were rebuilt for the Ridglea Movie Grill in the late 1980’s, including the blue lights in glass bricks, the low walls separating each level across the downstairs, and more in the balcony.

Recent discussions have ranged from small issues to the colossal—from decisions on historically accurate lighting updates, to whether the theater will be open only for concerts and events, or open every day. One idea is for the lobby area to become a Texas eclectic eatery with a fine wine and cheese piano bar.

“The Ridglea Theater is being taken back to the original 1950 design, with useful contemporary touches,” said Mr. Shults. “We are constantly evaluating many key issues—like theater versus cabaret seating and food service options—and making decisions for the long-term,” he concluded.

Now scheduled to reopen in early 2012, this historic Texas treasure is planned to be one of the area’s best live music venues. Follow the progress and post your own Ridglea memories at ridgleatheater.com/memories.

FORT WORTH, TX- The historic Ridglea Theater located on Camp Bowie just took another step toward receiving National Register of Historical Places (NRHP). The NRHP is the government’s list of buildings that are deemed worthy of preservation. The owner of the Ridglea, Jerry Shults, hopes that the building will receive this honorable status.

On March 22, after much delay, the Ridglea Theater received approval for re-zoning by the Fort Worth city council. The final decision was to re-zone from a “MU-1” low-intensity mixed use to “MU-1/HSE” low-intensity mixed use/highly significant endangered.

“I want as many historic preservation labels as I can put on this building, so nobody can tear it down,” Shults said. The city council of Fort Worth met today to approve the historical designation of the Ridglea Theater. With this worry out of the way, Shults is continuing the restoration of the Ridglea to bring it back to its original 1950’s flare.

The Ridglea Theater and office building are being historically restored and will soon be open as a live venue, retail and offices complex dedicated to a unique mix of organizations with a performance and entertainment orientation. 

The new Ridglea owner, Jerry Shults, also owns The GAS PIPE, a chain of southwest smoke shops in business since 1970; Rapids Camp Lodge and Rio Salvaje Lodge, providing trophy fishing vacations in Alaska and Chile; and Amy Lynn, Inc., a management group serving all of Mr. Shults’ businesses.

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FORT WORTH, TX- On December 15, 2010, local businessman, Jerry Shults, purchased the historic Fort Worth Ridglea Theater and the attached Ridglea Office Building #2.  Mr. Shults plans to re-open the entire complex under new management officially in Fall 2011.

The theater, originally opening in 1950, will be upgraded as primarily a live music venue.  The operation will entertain patrons with the best in local, regional, national and international performers, private events and maybe even classic movies.

There will be a lot of amenities that the Ridglea had recently provided, such as stage and dance floor, but Mr. Shults is looking to add a new Green Room, Media Room and Pub.

Mr. Shults is working with local Fort Worth historians, architects, interior designers and artists to renovate the building, while maintaining its long admired inherent charm and ambiance.

"I am dedicated to restoring and revitalizing this historic theater with its shops and offices, into a multi-use performance complex honoring the past while entertaining the future," Mr. Shults said.

Types of organizations being sought for the storefronts and offices, are mostly of a performance and entertainment orientation, such as: a restaurant, dance studio, small bar, talent management, photographers studio and vintage clothing store.

Overall, Mr. Shults wants to renovate and upgrade this historic Fort Worth landmark acknowledging its heritage and making it more accommodating and functional to the neighborhood it calls home.

The new Ridglea owner, Jerry Shults, also owns The GAS PIPE, a chain of southwest smoke shops in business since 1970; Rapids Camp Lodge and Rio Salvaje Lodge, providing trophy fishing vacations in Alaska and Chile; and Amy Lynn, Inc., a management group serving all of Mr. Shults’ businesses.

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The Ridglea Theater's renovations are far from done but already reveal bits of history.

Earlier this year, the city of Fort Worth declared the theater on Camp Bowie Boulevard a historic building. Now the work to turn it back into its historic self has begun.

Construction workers continued demolition work inside the theater on Tuesday, taking down a balcony extension added in the last three decades. It’s clear that the theater is getting ready to go back in time.

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

“It’s been a challenge to make the decisions on the things we need to replace or restore, but for the most part, we've gone off memories and photographs,” architect Sam Austin said.

Photographs will help guide workers piece together the original entryway in the theater, which was cut up long ago in parts and covered with six inches of concrete for a kitchen.

The floor and the mural on the walls above it need some major work.

“There's been a lot of damage done due to the renovations and remodels,” Austin said, referring to projects in the '80s and '90s.

The balcony extension is gone, and old terraces made of wood on the balcony have been removed, revealing the original floor and concrete steps. And a wall dividing the balcony was torn down.

“Now we can see all these parts that have been sitting around for all these years that we saved [can] actually be brought back into the fold and be a part of this building,” said Richard Van Zandt, general manager of the theater.

Van Zandt made one such find years ago. He found a wooden structure behind the stage and used it as part of a bar. Photographs reveal it was the original concession stand in the lobby and will be moved there during redevelopment.

The project has both professional and personal meaning for Austin, whose father was the first chief projectionist at the theater in 1950.

“To be able to restore part of my own past is just incredible,” he said.

Those involved in the project say the finished theater will be an incredible gift back to the area and city.

“We're going to have something to be proud of and the city of Fort Worth can be proud of,” Van Zandt said.

The remodeling should be completed by the spring if everything goes smoothly. Once finished, the theater will show old movies and have some live performances.

The Moon, the longstanding indie-music venue near TCU, is relocating next to the historic Ridglea Theater on Camp Bowie Boulevard. The new Moon’s grand opening is set for early November.

The TCU-area Moon will close at some point over the next several weeks. The landlord is currently in discussions with a potential buyer.

In need of a “bigger box”: The Moon’s Chris Maunder has found the ideal spot, adjacent to the historic Ridglea Theater. Moon owner Chris Maunder has been looking for a “bigger box,” he said, for about a year now. “I want to help spread Fort Worth music,” he said.

“We’ve got to have something cool to house it in,” quickly adding that he’s not saying that venues such as The Moon and Lola’s Saloon, in the West 7th Street corridor, are not cool. However, he continued, “you’ve got to have something different. … I want everything that Fort Worth and the arts are about to be an ‘I-remember-when’ type thing,” meaning that the average music lover will be able to see Fort Worth artists before they go big.

Maunder’s journey to the Ridglea began a few months ago, when Casey Mack, the theater’s new manager and an acquaintance of Maunder’s, popped into The Moon one night. Mack waxed poetic about plans for the Ridglea to become a major venue for touring artists, piquing Maunder’s interest. A few weeks later, 35-year-old TCU grad Maunder met with Jerry Shults, the owner of the Gas Pipe, a Southwest chain of smoke shops, who saved the theater from certain demolition about a year ago (“Ridglea Purchased by Gas Pipe Owner,” Blotch, Nov. 22, 2010). “I’m real excited about [The Moon],” Shults said. “It fits into my whole idea of this being an entertainment complex,” one that will also include a bar-bar.

Maunder assessed his strengths and weaknesses. “I did my due diligence,” he said. “I asked myself, ‘Am I good enough at what I do to handle a room of that size, to handle [500 to 600] people after [200 to 215] people at The Moon?’ … It didn’t take me long [to decide]. It was a no-brainer.”

When Maunder saw the room, he fell in love with it: 4,800 square feet with street-level entrance around the corner from the Ridglea’s front doors, with a massive stage, green room, and lounge area –– the space is about three times the size of the TCU Moon. “Just as much as the musicians have challenged us to grow as venues, we need to keep on top of new bands and different things and the industry as a whole,” Maunder said. “This is now my opportunity to help [local bands] get to the next level.”

Unlike the forthcoming Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge on the Near South Side (“Readying for Live Oak,” Aug. 24), the new Moon will focus on North Texas bands. “I obviously want the exposure that the theater’s going to bring,” Maunder said. “It’s not about the money. It’s about pushing our artists into a bigger venue. We haven’t had a mid-size room [for North Texas indie-rock] in a long time.”

But not all of his North Texas bands will be indie-rockers. Thursdays will be devoted to Americana artists, and Sundays will belong to purveyors of hip-hop and dubstep.

The new Moon and Ridglea Theater will not compete, Maunder said. “It’s about developing bands,” he said. “When there’s country at the Ridglea, there’s rock at The Moon, so we have a bunch of different genres and different tastes right there.”

The new Moon, Maunder said, will also be heavily involved in the community, hosting various fundraisers. “If somebody needs help,” he said, “I want them to know that somebody is there for them, and through our arts we can help you. We can raise awareness to your cause and raise money.”

Maunder has a lot of work to do before the grand opening, including remodeling pretty much the entire interior. A team of designers, including noted local architect Joe Self of Firm 817, will help realize Maunder’s vision of a ’60s-mod look but one that’s comfortable, not cold.

Maunder has been hiring and hopes to have 15 staff members, more than twice his current staff size at the TCU Moon. “I’m really looking forward to these new people coming on,” he said. “I wish I could hire more, and, hopefully, at some point, I’ll be able to. I don’t see me stopping at any point now. It’s ‘What can I do next?’ ”

The opening of the theater, Maunder said, will “create demand again.” Too many musicians, he said, are playing bars instead of larger venues, thanks to huge payouts from the pockets of bar owners and some booking agents. “The person who’s booking [the artists] isn’t booking them for the music, just bar sales,” he said. “Where people like [Lola’s owner] Brian [Forella] and me …. we are thinking about our bands. … We just wanna see our buddies blow up and do cool stuff and live out their dreams.”

Fort Worthians such as Telegraph Canyon, Calhoun, Burning Hotels, The Orbans, and The Hanna Barbarians are the types of artists Maunder will be looking to book. Some have played the TCU Moon –– but have packed the place to over-capacity. The new Moon, Maunder said, will relieve the stress of cramming. “I’ve got to grow up, too,” he said. “Like I said, it’s time for a challenge.”

Earlier today, sifting through my voicemail after a week of being out of the office covering South by Southwest, I landed on an unexpected, troubling message from Ridglea Theater owner Jerry Shults. In brief, Shults said that city councilman Zim Zimmerman had filed a continuance from the March 8 city council meeting, which would potentially block the Ridglea Theater's already-approved historic designation from making it past the Fort Worth city council.

Before going further, it's important to note, as it has been erroneously reported elsewhere, that Zimmerman and Shults both confirm the Ridglea Theater's historic designation is expected to proceed as planned and pass the council at tomorrow morning's meeting. Zimmerman acknowledged the Fort Worth zoning commission had previously approved the Ridglea Theater to be classified for “Low Intensity Mixed Use/Highly Significant Endangered.”

I spoke with both men this afternoon and, from what I can gather, it seems that Shults's Gas Pipe chain may have been a brief point of contention, possibly even confusion. Zimmerman told me that "the owner promised me they weren’t going to put in a smoke shop,” meaning a Gas Pipe outlet would not be opened within the Ridglea.

“There was confusion,” Zimmerman said. “It’s not the kind of thing you want in a district, not the kind of thing you want near young people.” But before hanging up, the councilman told me, “As it stands, we’re going to go forward with the designation [tomorrow].”

Shults agrees on the point about the smoke shop's potential location, saying there are plans to open a Gas Pipe, but not right next door to the theater in the old Smokies space (as had previously been assumed).

“I told [Zimmerman] there wasn’t going to be a Gas Pipe in the theater,” Shults says, “but what does that have to do with the historic designation?”

Although Shults has his ideas about what prompted what he described as a “very strange” phone call from Zimmerman last Thursday, he declined to discuss them on the record. He did say Zimmerman asked him if “I still wanted the historic designation.”

“I want as many historic preservation labels as I can put on this building, so nobody can tear it down,” Shults says emphatically. “I want this, no matter what Zimmerman is saying.”

Shults credits councilman Joel Burns with helping to resolve the situation: “He has been a godsend in this whole thing.” Once the theater is formally approved by the city council tomorrow morning, its historic designation will proceed to the Texas Historical Commission and, eventually, the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also worth noting that Tuesday’s city council meeting will be the last time the city of Fort Worth will be involved in the building’s historic designation process.

The Ridglea’s owner also says the renovations are proceeding to his satisfaction, with an eye towards re-opening in late September. The venue is nearing a deal with AEG Live to help bring in some national acts, Shults says, and the current configuration plans involve a trio of stages, much like the “entertainment complex” set-ups at the House of Blues or Palladium Ballroom. Shults did discuss one of the entertainers the theater is interested in having perform for its grand-re-opening week, but declined to release the name just yet, as negotiations are still ongoing.

"It's the best Christmas present I could've got for myself," Jerry Shults said jokingly.

He's talking about finally taking ownership of the Ridglea Theater, after stepping in to purchase the building in October after Bank of America backed out. Shults now owns the building outright, having bought it from Dallas-based FixFunding, which took over the property in Oct. 2009 after the R.K. Maulsby Family Trust filed for bankruptcy.

Shults isn't wasting any time diving into the sure-to-be extensive renovations. As I outlined yesterday, there are plenty of changes on the horizon, not least of which is Shults pushing the grand re-opening date from May to mid-September. Preliminary demolition of non-historically significant elements begins tomorrow. Richard Van Zandt and Wesley Hathaway, the building's current tenants, will continue to book shows through March 2, at which time their lease expires and they will shift into yet-to-be-determined roles with the new ownership.

As Shults explained to me today, there's just too much work to do in the previously announced time frame, particularly considering the effort that will be required to bring the terrazzo floors and the murals back to previous glory. "The damage is more extensive than we thought," Shults said. He also cited the marquee as needing more work than previously thought.

Additionally, Shults says once the balcony is re-opened and restored, the theater's capacity will be closer to 2,000, putting it on par, spatially, with Bass Hall and that councilman Zim Zimmerman "fully supports" Shults's efforts and is working to alleviate any potential parking problems. Although no one from the local Live Nation office would confirm it, Shults said the concert promoter is interested in possibly booking the venue exclusively.

In the long run, Shults envisions the restoration process taking a couple years, although he stresses that, when the doors re-open in September, most visitors will be able to see significant progress on that front. He'll certainly be hands-on; Shults told me he's looking at homes in the Ridglea neighborhood so he can always be near the theater.

"It's a great thing for the city of Fort Worth and, hopefully, for the state of Texas," Shults said.

It's certainly a tremendous conclusion -- thus far -- to a story that threatened to have an unhappy ending. Much more to come as the situation develops.

Against all odds, the Ridglea Theater story may have a happy ending after all.

As we first reported yesterday (and, originally, broke the story back in June, as well as chronicling every development all summer long), the Ridglea Theater has been saved from extinction. (For those unfamiliar with the story's twists and turns, Bank of America was interested in purchasing the building, demolishing nearly 90 percent of it and installing a drive-thru bank branch in the current theater's place. After several months of negotiations, public outcry and due diligence, the bank walked away from the sale in early October.)

San Antonio native and Dallas resident Jerry Shults, who owns a string of Gas Pipe smoke shops in Dallas, Austin and Albquerque, says he has a signed contract with the building's current owner, Dallas-based FixFunding, and has handed over a down payment. Shults, who has no personal tie to the building beyond attending a few concerts there over the years, says he simply seized an opportunity, when Bank of America backed out, to step in and make a quick deal before the end of the year. Shults, who declined to specify the exact figure paid, says he spent close to what Bank of America would've spent to buy the building. He's convinced if the sale to BoA had gone through, the building would've been demolished in a matter of weeks.

But that has been avoided. If all goes according to plan these next few weeks, Shults plans to close on the property on or around Dec. 12.

"We've done everything we can on the deal from our end," Shults says. "We have drop-dead clauses to get out by Nov. 30, but the two issues we had have been pretty much resolved."

Shults is planning extensive renovations, in an effort to get the Ridglea back to its original condition, as well as get the building designated as a historic landmark. Shults already has meetings lined up with Historic Fort Worth and is also working closely with the city. He hasn't wasted any time getting the building back in shape: he's currently working on the marquee, paying for the repair costs out of his own pocket, while FixFunding addresses some issues with the roof. Eventually, he wants to fully restore the interior, with its terrazzo floors, and also bring back the balcony, which has languished in disrepair for years.

"We'd like to return the theater to how it looked when it opened," Shults says. "It has a really nice flow as originally designed; we'd like to recapture that as much as possible."

Shults also plans to bring in Bill Johnson to overhaul the placement of speakers and lights, as well as build a brand new stage from scratch. Other tweaks might include converting some of the balcony to a VIP area for concerts or installing a bar in the currently unused "crying area" situated in the rear of the theater. Shults also hopes to get a variance from the city allowing for a capacity of up to 1,500 people. He's aiming for a grand opening in early May.

"Our major thing is the integrity of not only the theater, but the entire shopping center as well," Shults says. "I want to get some sort of historical designation, so that it can never ever be torn down in the future."

As for the building's current tenants, Richard Van Zandt and Wesley Hathaway, whose lease runs through next June, Shults says they are bowing out a little early: March 2, to be exact (they've signed documents with the current owner to this effect). With Van Zandt and Hathaway stepping away from the building before their lease is up, it allows Shults to shut down the Ridglea for two months and get the work done to make his anticipated opening in early May.

"We're burned out, trying to manage [the theater]," says Wesley Hathaway. "[But] we are truly ecstatic. This is from my heart: That building, which is an icon in this city, it's fabulous that he's going to save it."

That doesn't mean Hathaway and Van Zandt will disappear. Shults says he has asked them to stay on, in whatever capacity, for as long as they want. For now, things will continue as usual at the Ridglea, although Shults says Van Zandt has been busy helping with restoration efforts. Hathaway says she's not sure in what capacity she and her partner will contribute to the Ridglea, but they're happy to do whatever Shults asks of them.

"They may have a concert or two to do after that, [but] this is too much for them to do, particularly with the lack of support from previous ownership," Shults says of the pair. "I want to make the segue [seamless] whenever it is. They put so much time into this, they deserve some sort of place in this."

Levi Weaver, who spearheaded a grassroots effort to prevent demolition of the building and who made an attempt to purchase the building after Bank of America backed out, will also keep a hand in things as the Ridglea moves forward: "I really like Levi and I like what he did," Shults says. "I'm just not sure how much he wants to be involved."

For his part, Weaver says he's open to whatever Shults would like him to do.

"I sent him an e-mail and laid out my thoughts," says Weaver, who will meet with Shults in a couple weeks. "When I first set out in June, my goal was keep it from being torn down and turned into a bank."

Shults has plenty on his plate for the next few months, not least of which is getting the building back on its feet after years of owner neglect. He's aware of the parking situation -- "It's on my radar" -- but doesn't perceive it as an issue. He's taking pains to involve local preservation organizations and wants to make sure everyone's on board as he proceeds with the restoration.

Historic Fort Worth's Jerre Tracy is "encouraged" by her interactions with Shults thus far, saying that their organization is happy to support any developer using the Secretary of the Interior's standards for rehabilitation (which Tracy has forwarded to Shults). She says the city, along with the state and federal historic commissions, can do the most for Shults by working closely with him and, possibly, expediting the building's status. Tracy also pointed out that federal tax credits could supplement any of Shults's initial financial investment.

"All we know is he really wants to restore the building," Tracy says. "Mr. Shults seems very excited about taking this next step."

Shults hopes to revitalize not only the theater itself, but the whole Ridglea Village shopping center. Part of his plans include a possible diner nearby, as well as a pub, along with creating a small office complex for promoters or producers to lease space near the Ridglea.

"We make the building more valuable as a business entity," Shults says. "If you do that, it's a win and the building will be there for 100 years."

While Shults doesn't quite know how the music end of things will go yet, one thing is certain: the days of all metal, all the time are numbered. He envisions the space as something like a blend of the Granada and the much-missed Caravan of Dreams. Possible acts to take the stage include Willie Nelson (whom Shults would love to get as the grand opening act), Asleep at the Wheel or Built to Spill, acts that either play rarely in Fort Worth or more routinely, head for Dallas. He's encouraging the public to visit the Friends of the Ridglea Theater Facebook page and make their voices heard.

"I'm looking for input from them," Shults says. "I don't want heavy metal to be the only thing."

But, just as it took time for the Ridglea saga to play itself out to this point, so too will it take time for Shults to get everything just like he wants it.

"I'd like everybody to be patient with the process and be excited about the outcome," he says. "I think everyone is going be excited about the outcome. I’d really like for [the Ridglea] to be the community’s, to have input into this."