The City of Paducah, Kentucky is soliciting proposals from any interested parties to renovate the historic Columbia Theatre property located in our historic downtown. Our intent is to have this property restored to life as an integral part of the community and return its front façade(s) to its original grandeur. The City of Paducah is the current owner of these structures and is willing to transfer ownership, free of charge, to a developer that completes a successful proposal under these guidelines that is accepted by the Paducah City Commission.

This document serves as the guideline for submitting proposals to the selection committee. It outlines the history of the property, benefits that may be available, the existing condition of the structure, what the city and selection committee expects, the proposal process, and proposal requirements. New uses for the structure will be considered. Proposals will be accepted for part or all of the structures. Any interested parties should contact Carol Gault, Director of Paducah Main Street at (270) 444-8649 with any questions about the proposal or project.

This movie palace was built by the Keiler family who owned several local theaters, including the Arcade Theater at the corner of Fifth and Broadway. Built in 1911, the Arcade was the first theater in Paducah built specifically for the motion pictures. It was located in the one-story Arcade building, which also housed shops that faced the open interior courtyard that led up to the theater’s entrance.

In 1927 Leo Keiler built the larger and grander Columbia Theater. This brick building has an elaborate façade composed of blue and white terra cotta tiles. This façade displays and eclectic assortment of architectural details, including spiraled Byzantine columns, classical urns, friezes and capitals, and busts of Greek goddesses. The original Columbia sign was 50 feet tall and was lit with 5,000 light bulbs.

The Columbia Theater opened on April 18, 1927, when 2,000 fortunate patrons had tickets to see Clara Bow starring in IT and hear Jack Adams on the Barton console organ. The theater was one of the first in America to feature “Vitaphone” sound. The Columbia and Arcade theaters were especially popular in the summer months where “air-cooled” systems kept patrons free from perspiration.

Paducah’s downtown movie theaters closed in the 1980’s and these buildings now await redevelopment for exciting new uses.

These buildings are located in the heart of downtown Paducah. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as contributing structures in the Paducah Downtown Commercial Historic District. They were placed on the National Register in 1978. The buildings themselves are surrounded by 1850-1900 architecture that has remained largely in tact. The one-story arcade building has most recently been used for shops and offices as well as a theatre.

The Columbia Theatre building is approximately 12,540 square feet. The building has been vacant since the mid 1980’s. The first floor consists of a lobby and the lower theatre seating. The second floor includes a magnificent foyer open area and the upper balcony seating for the theatre. A large retractable moving screen reveals a generous stage for performances.

The Arcade Theatre building is approximately 19,250 square feet. Parts of this structure are currently being used as offices, a retail store, and a barbershop. The two theatres in this structure have also been vacant since the mid 1980’s. Roughly 25% of this structure is currently being utilized. This building is one story as shown on the floor plan with the exception of some balcony seating in the theatres. There are two theatre rooms in the Arcade building both of which have performance stages.

Upon completion of a state level review, the application is forwarded to the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. It is the National Park Service's legal responsibility to certify or deny applicants for tax benefits.