SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) — The Carolina Theater inside the Montgomery Building in Spartanburg could see new life.
“I think it would be great,” said Andre Robinson, who lives in Spartanburg. “I definitely know my son would be there all the time.”
Developers are considering creating an Esports arena for video game competitions inside the former theater.
“The main building itself was redeveloped a few years ago and has been successful since then and been pursuing a plan to see that theater redeveloped as well, as sort of as a nice cherry on top of that,” said Christopher George, the communications manager for the City of Spartanburg.
First, developers want to hear from the community.
“It’s really important to have viable path forward that’s going to be successful for this space, so this kind of research will help the developer figure out what’s going to work there and what people in the area would support,” said George.
They’re asking people to fill out a survey, so they can guage demand and hear the community’s thoughts. On Friday, some people said the facility is a great idea.
“I’ve got ‘Music on Main’ and I think it’d be great for the younger kids to go and kind of hang out, since all the arcades in the mall no longer exist. That’s kind of what we did,” said Robinson.
Robinson also said it could bring new life to the historic Montgomery Building, which opened in 1924.
“My grandparents have stories of the Montgomery Building, and so my grandkids, my kid, and possibly myself could go and have our own little stories and history with the Montgomery Building,” said Robinson.
City leaders said the Carolina Theater has been closed since the 70s. They said this development could draw more people to the area.
“That corner of downtown having that kind of activity would be really important in pulling people up from the Square, it increases the footprint downtown, and attracts more people,” said George.
For now, George said the project is in early phases, as developers gather research and information. Still, some believe it’d be a unique addition to downtown.
“If they bring that here, Spartanburg is definitely going to be growing, so definitely bring it, we need it,” said Robinson.
The Montgomery Building is owned by BF Spartanburg and leaders said the theater is in good shape, considering its age. James Bakker, with BF Spartanburg, said the community survey will analyze the venue’s potential and he believes redevelopment could bring an economic boost for the community.
“It started off as a vaudeville theater and then transitioned to movies, so Esports seems like a natural transition. As one of the fastest growing industries in sports and entertainment that is particularly popular with those 21 and under, Esports is an important way to appeal to younger residents and visitors. Also, it would not just be an Esports arena and would have the ability to show second run movies and host conferences, weddings, and other events that require video and streaming,” said Bakker in a statement to 7News.
Bakker also said there’s potential for other opportunities with local school districts and universities, to expand and grow Esport programs.
People can take the survey and voice their thoughts online.