GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A historic theater, originally built in the 1930s, is slowly coming back to life on the city's southeast side. The Four Star Theater is entering phase two of its update process, announcing that it secured a $100,000 grant from Lowe's on Wednesday.
Marcus Ringnalda first toured the building with a friend in 2015. That friend had initially shown interest in buying the building— when that fell through, Ringnalda decided to step in.
The Four Star Theater first opened on South Division Avenue in November 1938. An article in The News-Palladium at the time of its opening said, "The theater will seat 900 with all seats on the lower floor. The architecture, interior design and furnishings are Swedish moderne."
FOX 17 first got a chance to walk the space in September 2021, after Ringnalda had custody.
He has been working since then to renovate the theater, initially shooting for a full opening at some point in 2023.
“We're gonna have activity in this building. We're gonna make improvements, and pretty soon people are gonna know this is open from the street,” he told FOX 17 Wednesday.
While there has been significant process on the interior of the building, there will soon be visual updates to the exterior.
On Wednesday, Ringnalda announced that the theater had secured a $100,000 grant from Lowe's Hometowns Impact program.
The Four Star Theater is one of just 100 locations in the United States to receive a grant.
This is the second year that Lowe's has held the program, intending to run for at least five years total.
You can donate your time or money to the Four Star Theater by visiting their Facebook page HERE.
