Ritz Theatre Purchase Reunites Historic Mesquite Street Wing With Original Complex

The Ritz Theatre, Inc. has acquired a historic building at 720 N. Mesquite Street in Corpus Christi, bringing a former entrance wing back into the theater complex nearly a century after it opened. The purchase follows the organization's acquisition, just weeks earlier, of an adjacent vacant property intended for a new annex.

Built as part of the original Ritz complex, which opened on Christmas Day 1929, the Mesquite Street building housed shops, a box office, a secondary entrance and a passage to the auditorium. Historical records show the theater was designed to connect Chaparral and Mesquite streets, allowing audiences to buy tickets and enter from the Mesquite side.

An original arch remains inside the building, preserving part of the route once taken by theatergoers. The secondary entrance closed in 1939, and the property subsequently had other uses, including as a tobacco warehouse. Architectural firm Brock Mabrey and Partners bought the vacant wing in 1974, restored it and made it the firm's headquarters.

Jillian Baquet, the Ritz's development and program manager, said the acquisition will provide ground-floor public access, space for staff and an education center occupying much of the building. Plans call for classrooms and administrative offices. Baquet also said the property is included in the Ritz's National Register nomination and shares the theater's historical recognition.

The organization has already begun bringing performing arts education into area schools, according to Baquet. Its initial program focuses on theater and storytelling, with plans to expand into other performing arts. Beyond its educational role, access behind the Mesquite building will allow tour buses and 18-wheelers to reach a planned loading dock without remaining on surrounding streets.

The building will complement the annex planned beside the historic theater. That addition is intended to accommodate extra lobby space, ADA-accessible restrooms, elevators, food service and event space. Providing those amenities in the annex would allow the organization to avoid fitting them into the historic theater itself.

Across the street, House of Rock owner Casey Lain welcomed the prospect of another operating music venue. He said additional opportunities for music would benefit Corpus Christi's existing community of venues and musicians. While acknowledging the challenges associated with historic properties, Lain said their character cannot easily be recreated: “You can't replicate it.”

Current tenants will stay at 720 N. Mesquite through April 2027 as design and preconstruction work proceeds. The property will then start its transition into the restored complex. The Ritz's restoration and expansion plans are centered on its 100th anniversary in 2029. Executive Director Art Seago described the acquisition as another step toward putting the original theater complex back together.