Note: The following comes from a 2017 article in The News-Press by Casey Logan.
THE ArcadeBuilt in 1915, by the businessman of Fort Myers, Harvie Heitman and his brother Gilmer, initially welcomed the Vaudeville, including magic acts and pieces, before playing photos in motion for the first time in February 1917 – more than 100 years ago.
At the beginning of the 20th century, going to the cinema was an extravagance, which could explain the sophisticated appearance of the signs. It could not be determined to make the company signs and when they were installed, but historical research suggests that they increased upon a major theater in 1938 and at the latest in 1943.
The theater has a legendary past, showing the characteristics of “Barbary Sheep” in “Jaws”, but it fell into ruins and closed periodically along the way. He showed films for the last time in the early 80s.
Bill Smith by Bill Smith Appliances & Electronics Fame bought the Bradford building around 1901 which included the Théâtre de Lorraine Blownstine, the only child of Harvie Heitman, in 1979.
The 103,000 square feet building, which occupies a city block, includes theater, retailers, offices, a bank and more than 40 apartments on both upper levels.
In 1979, the city center had nothing to do today. Few people were interested in spending time there after department stores such as Sears and JCPENNEY left the city center for the Edison shopping center, which opened in 1965.
“In the 1950s, from the 1960s and in the early 1970s, the Arcade theater was the place, and it was crowded most of the time, but there were few companies there in 1979,” said Wilbur Smith, the lawyer and former mayor of Fort Myers, as well as the oldest son of Bill Smith. “They were mainly on board. Practically all companies have been closed. ”
Quick advance for a few decades and the city center is booming and the building is rinking with tenants after renovations over the years. But one thing was missing: the sign remained dark. The Smith family decided that it was worth spending the money to shine again, despite the cost of $ 80,000.
The Florida Repertory Theater began to operate on the site in 1998, featuring comedies, dramas, new plays and musicals.