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The show will go on at the Historic River Oaks Theatre, where new owners Kimco Realty announced its planned reopening on Westheimer Road during a Feb. 2 press conference.

Kimco officials were joined by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and others at the event, during which Kimco's Vice President of Leasing Andrew Bell announced the real estate company came to an agreement with the Houston-based Star Cinema Grill to lease the space.

In determining the future of the theater, Bell said Kimco was looking for an operator who appreciated its arthouse history and who was from Houston. Omar Khan, owner of Star Cinema Grill, will serve as president and CEO of River Oaks Theatre, Bell said.

“Omar and his teams’ vision, track record and love for this theater are everything we could hope to find,” he said.

The River Oaks theatre first opened its doors in 1939 and was taken over by the company Landmark Theaters in 1976, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported. Landmark operated the theater until 2021 when a failure to further negotiate on rent payments with owner Weingarten Realty led to its closure.

In August 2021, Kimco Realty bought out Weingarten. Upon purchasing the shopping center, Bell said Kimco realized “the coolness” of the area and had high hopes of working on a longterm vision.

Khan said he promises to keep the origins of the theater—operating it as an arthouse cinema and staying true to its history—while also upgrading food and beverage offerings, presentation, amenities and hospitality.

Both Turner and Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin said their offices were flooded with emails, letters and calls from residents all over Houston who did not want to see the theater shut down. Kamin said she wanted a longterm commitment and preservation for the theater, emphasizing that it is not only an icon for her district, but for the city of Houston.

“As we continue to grow and build our city, there are some things that are worth standing still in time for,” Kamin said.

As the fight for the theater continued, Houstonians created the Friends of River Oaks Theater. Spokesperson Maureen McNamara said the group sent out surveys, held panel discussions and had an 83rd birthday party for the theater. She said the group spent countless hours and put an extensive amount of energy to see the reopening of the theater come to fruition.

“This is a gift to Houston’s cultural center, and as true friends of the theater, we are in this for the long haul,” McNamara said. “We look forward to applying our knowledge of the film community and of historic and independent cinemas to collaborate with all involved on our shared vision for the theater’s bright future.”

Turner said the reopening of preservation of the theater is just another reminder that old landmarks play an important cultural role for “captivating the pride of our city’s heritage.” He said the community was at the heart of this announcement.

“Lets not draw close the curtain because the next act is just around the corner,” Turner said. “We have a new message for the marquee and that is the River Oaks Theatre will be open again and preserved for future generations.”

December 18, 2024