The Alhambra Theatre at Haynie's Corner has new owners.
Alhambra Events LLC, led by Ken Haynie III, Vice President of Sales at FC Tucker Emge Realtors; and Aaron Kendall, a developer and commercial real estate agent also with FC Tucker Emge Realtors, is the new ownership entity.
In 2015 the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana took an option to purchase on the building and neighboring vacant lot. The investors purchased the option and then purchased the building and lot from the current owner, The Alhambra Theatre Inc., according to a news release.
The new owners are considering various opportunities for the structure, which was built in 1913 as a silent, and later sound movie theater.
Plans are not finalized but could include an events gallery and a restaurant, according to the release. The theatre closed in 1956 and over the next six decades saw a gradual deterioration in the building and several ownerships. The last ownership was a nonprofit board.
The City of Evansville, through its Department of Metropolitan Development spent $398,000 from a federal grant to renovate and preserve the exterior of the building as it is a landmark structure and part of the historic character of the area.
“Aaron & I are thrilled to become part of the thriving Haynie's Corner Art District. The District is a fabulous place for residents and guests alike. The sense of community in this neighborhood makes it an inviting place to live, work and visit. Thank you to all who have dedicated their time and resources to the survival of the Alhambra Theatre. We aim to make this beautiful and significant building a very special place for all to enjoy," Haynie says in the release.
Haynie is the great great grandson of George Haynie, owner of a drug store which was destroyed by fire in 1944, for whom the famed corner is still named today.