Grassroots effort aims to keep the Granada Theater open
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Guests attend The Recording Academy Texas Chapter member celebration at the Granada Theater last year in Dallas. Photo: Ayisha Collins/Getty Images
A grassroots effort is trying to keep the 80-year-old art deco Granada Theater functioning as a theater in Dallas.
Why it matters: New York-based Bathhouse plans to buy the property and convert it to a wellness space with saunas, steam rooms and pools.
Catch up quick: Granada Theater owners Mike Schoder and Julia Garton said in late October that the Lower Greenville theater would stop hosting shows and events after April 17. They cited dramatic changes to the live music industry for the decision, per a statement posted to Facebook.
- The adjacent restaurant, Sundown at the Granada, closed in early October.
- "Rising costs, shifting audiences, and corporate consolidation have made life increasingly difficult for independent venues," Schoder and Garton said in their statement.
The latest: Two days after the announcement, a group of residents started the "Save the Granada Theater" Facebook group. More than 600 people have joined since then.
Between the lines: There's another sense of urgency for the group: The Granada does not have landmark protections, Preservation Dallas executive director Sarah Crain says.
- Bathhouse previously said the theater's marquee and facade would remain but that the Sundown at Granada restaurant would be torn down, per the DMN.
What they're saying: Dallas arts leader Kristin Colaneri tells Axios that she appreciates Bathhouse's vision in introducing a new wellness experience to the city. But, she adds, the Granada is more than a beautiful building — it's a living cultural institution.
- Colaneri said the solution can be collaborative, preserving the Granada as a functioning theater while allowing Bathhouse to thrive.
- "This isn't about opposing progress. It's about finding a more imaginative, inclusive, and economically sustainable path forward," she says.
- Colaneri said the group is exploring potential investment, acquisition or partnership opportunities.
The other side: Bathhouse did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zoom out: The Forest Theater in South Dallas is another grassroots-turned-local nonprofit effort that created a mixed-use space while preserving the neighborhood's history.
- The theater reopened on Nov. 1.
The bottom line: "There's a lot of buildings throughout Dallas that people just assume will be there forever, assume that because it's been there and an icon of Dallas it's got protections, no one's going to tear it down," Crain said. "And that's never been the story of Dallas."