What Would It Really Cost to Bring Canyon’s Varsity Theater Back to Life?

Almost every small town in Texas had a theater that held special memories for those who walked through the doors and watched their first movie.  It was where couples had their first dates, children saw their first Disney movie, and some just escaped reality for a couple of hours. The Varsity Theater in Canyon holds those special memories and more.

Many WT students walked through the doors of the Varsity Theater during their college years.

Author's note: I spent many hours in the Varsity Theater with friends while attending WTAMU. It was within walking distance of the campus, and it was a great way to spend time with friends, take a break from studying, and enter a totally different world for a couple of hours. So many WT students are missing out on these memories. 

Recently, someone posted a picture of the front door of the Varsity Theater on an All Things Canyon post:

Soooo who wants to go splitsies so we can open the movie theater back up

The Varsity Theater in Canyon opened in September 1948 and closed in 2014. The building marquee was torn down in 2016.

What It Would Cost to Fix Up the Varsity Theater Building

While every historic building is different, these are some of the biggest expenses someone would incur while rehabilitating the Varsity Theater. These are just estimates of what the rehabilitation would cost.

Biggest Expenses

• Roof: Repairs $20,000 - $75,000 - Replacement $100,000+
• Electrical: $75,000+
• HVAC: $100,000+
• Plumbing, including bringing bathrooms up to ADA compliance: $50,000 to $150,000
• Fire Safety: $50,000 to $250,000

Plus, when you are working with older buildings, you also have to account for structural repairs, asbestos and lead paint abatement, and bringing the building up to the current codes, which can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the budget.

Read More: Canyon's Tabletop Tavern Game Cafe Closing This Month

The Equipment Needed to Show a Movie Today

Now let's look at the equipment that brings the movie to the screen. Movie theaters don't just have projectors that they thread film through anymore. They are more advanced these days.

Today's theater updates require:

• Digital laser projector
• Cinema server
• Screen
• Projection booth upgrades

Cost of the Projector: $70,000 to $150,000

Cost of the Screen: $10,000 to $40,000

Cost of a new sound system: $50,000+

Then you have to factor in new seating, and on the low end, one theater seat can cost $400.

Read More: Canyon Popcorn Co. Reopens in Canyon

What Other Historical Texas Theaters Have Spent

The cost to revamp the historical Paramount Theater in Austin was $55 million. The cost of the renovations of the Alameda Theater in San Antonio has gone from $23 million to over $64 million.

Could the Varsity Theater Actually Reopen?

While the Varsity Theater is smaller than these two theaters, bringing it back to its original glory could cost close to a million if not millions of dollars. However, if there are people out there who want to see it happen, there are many grants available to bring these types of venues back to life. In 2014, the Canyon EDC was ready to work with the owner to keep the theater open, as I'm sure they would be willing to work with a new group.

With the loss of the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, many people are craving that nostalgia, and this would be a great way to bring some of that back to Canyon.

All this needs is someone with a big pocketbook, a lot of grants, and a dream.