Mars Hill New entertainment district proposed for Mars Hill


By Matt Tate Fifty years ago, downtown


movie theatres were pillars of city business districts. Brilliant marquees touting Hollywood’s biggest stars drew patrons young and old. The stately, single silver screens


might have been the town’s top entertainment option, and the buzz coming from these venues was palpable. When the rise of suburban


sprawl took hold in the 1970s, multiplexes shuttered the doors on many of these theatres as they eventually became hollowed re- minders of the decline of down- towns across America. In the past decade or so, down-


town revitalization has been on the rise. One Mars Hill man is heading a project that hopes to revive a historic landmark in his town and create an anchor for the burgeoning downtown busi- ness district. Ryan Pickens owns the Mars


Theatre and an adjoining prop- erty to the north. Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the N.C. Rural Center as well as $4,000 of his own money, a feasibility study conducted on the prop- erty led Pickens to develop a plan to remodel the theatre into a multi-use venue that would be anchored by restaurants, artists’ galleries and living spaces. “We need it. The community


needs it,” he said of the potential district. Pickens, a professor of busi-


ness at Mars Hill College, said market research indicated more than $35 million in revenue was leaving the town, mainly due to a lack of entertainment options. “That’s a big problem,” he


said. He hopes the theatre will fea- ture movies, musical acts, live


A look at the theatre today.


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8 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - September 9 - September 15, 2010


theatre and dancing. “I hope to transform the the-


atre into a family oriented, ver- satile entertainment hall that has an Appalachian feel,” he said, adding Madison County memo- rabilia would adorn the interior.


The vision The Mars Theatre was con-


structed in 1947. It remained a viable operation for nearly 50 years. In 1992, the theatre host- ed a national premiere of the film “Mutzmag: An Appalachian Folk Tale.” Decline hit in the mid 1990s


and a portion of the theatre was converted into office space. In 2005, the theatre finally became vacant. Pickens bought the space and has done little with it as he explored development options. Inside, approximately 250-300


seats remain on the main level and balcony. Upstairs, a crying room where parents would take their squealing babies still ex- ists. The projection equipment


works, although Pickens said he plans to replace it. The building’s plumbing and electrical work is outdated and in need of replace-


ment, but the masonry work is still sound. Coupled with the adjoin-


ing property, Pickens has about 1.5 acres that slopes from Main Street about 60 feet to near the Mars Hill Public Library behind it.


Pickens said this project would


need in the neighborhood of $4 million to complete. As far as the theatre, he hopes to keep the re- modeling costs as reasonable as possible, so other organizations can rent the space at affordable rates.


Continued on page 9 www.weavervilletribune.com


A conceptual look at the proposed entertainment district.


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