Clendenin group raising money to reopen dilapidated theater

CLENDENIN, WV (WOWK) – The silver screen is coming back to Clendenin, decades after they rolled the credits.

A group called 25045-A New Clendenin (a nod to the town’s zip code) is raising money and collecting grants to reopen the Roxy Theater. The building opened in the 1930s before closing in 2000 due to disrepair. It served as Clendenin’s movie theater.

The Roxy was donated to the group around 2006. President Dave Knight says they rebuilt the roof and front facade in 2015 with grant money. But the floods in 2016 put the project on the back burner while the city picked itself back up.

Knight says they are picking up where they left off, and the next priorities are building the lobby, concession stand, and bathrooms.

Knight grew up watching movies at the Roxy and wants to bring that experience back for the next generation of Clendenin families.

“A lot of people went on their first date here at Roxy. They got their first kiss here at the Roxy. They had a lot of firsts at the Roxy. Everyone has memories,” Knight said. “They had double features back in the day. I remember the Dean Martin and Clint Eastwood movies. It was good times.”

Mayor Kay Summers also grew up going to the movie theater and is excited at the prospect of attracting more people to her hometown than ever before.

“This is going to be the cherry on top of the cake. It’s going to bring people back. We’re going to encourage businesses from Charleston to come and have their meeting here. We want the Light Opera Guild to come here,” Summers said.

Knight says the theater will become a multi-art center when it reopens and will have live music, dancing, conference rooms, and more. Building the auditorium will be the final and most expensive phase of the project. It is expected to cost nearly $1 million.

The group expects the Roxy to reopen in the next five years.

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