Plans for Ritz Theater/Cultural Center on front burner for Albany Commission

By Alan Mauldin

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ALBANY – After years of discussion, the renovation of the Ritz Theater and Ritz Cultural Center in a historic section of downtown Albany is once again on the front burner.

The Albany City Commission got an update on the scope of work and has received partial funding from federal sources to move the project forward.

“We got $2.3 million from Congressman (Sanford) Bishop so we are … I think it’s 90% designed,” Mayor Bo Dorough said. “Hopefully, it’s going to go out for bid in early 2026.”

The city will need to find additional funds to complete the project, as the preliminary figures put the total cost at $4.9 million. 

Once the site of after-school activities focusing on the arts in the historic Harlem District along the 300 block of South Jackson Street, the Ritz was closed around 2011 as part of cost-cutting measures the city took to deal with the impact of the 2008 recession. Other closings at that time included the First Tee golf course and several police precincts.

Federal funds that supported the programs at the center also dried up, Commissioner Jon Howard said.

“When it (grant) went away, (the Ritz) closed,” he said. “Prior to the closing, there were issues with the AC. It was very expensive for the city.”

Programs at the facility included arts and dance, the commissioner said. After the building was closed and with no climate control inside the annex building, the interior deteriorated, he added.

Opened in 1930 as a movie theater serving black moviegoers, the Ritz originally had a seating capacity of more than 500.

Plans are for the theater to be used for small productions and for musical performances, the mayor said. It has received a grant from the Fox Theatre, which also could help steer shows as part of block booking of acts in Atlanta and smaller venues in the state such as Albany, Macon, Savannah and Valdosta.

“You can have plays, live music,” Dorough said. “Most importantly, you’re renovating a building that’s an integral part of this community.”

Programming at the Cultural Center could come from sources including the Albany Museum of Art, Albany State University and the Dougherty County School System, he said.