Regal Theater
Former Regal Theater shines in City's West End
In-Process Project — This project is in process, and information may change. This page will be updated as it progresses.
History
The Regal Theater is believed to have been built around 1908 and opened as the Casino Theater in 1914, taking the Regal name in 1941. With 1,500 seats, it originally featured a stage for vaudeville and other live performances before transitioning to film.
During the 1940s and 1950s, the Regal screened cartoons and feature films by day and hosted jazz musicians late into the night, serving as a vibrant cultural hub for the West End community.
The theater closed in 1996, and by 2002 it had deteriorated enough to be featured in CityBeat’s “Blight of the Week.”
Acquisition and Momentum
The Hamilton County Landbank, a managed entity of The Port, acquired the Regal in April 2013 and began stabilization work later that year, with additional maintenance and stabilization completed periodically since.
In 2019, The Port partnered with the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center (ROMAC) to save and renovate the historic theater through a full renovation of the existing structure.
Located at the corner of Linn and Clark Streets, the Regal once served as a community gathering place for entertainment and social events. Its restoration positions it to once again anchor a revitalized commercial corridor in the West End.
In 2023, the Regal Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Thank you to our funding partners, the City of Cincinnati, Duke Foundation, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Haile Foundation, Millstone Foundation, Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, and the Procter & Gamble Foundation for making this project possible.
What’s Next
The Regal marked its construction kick-off with a public event on September 2, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1201 Linn Street, celebrating the official start of the building’s renovation.
Roof stabilization and building envelope work are among the first phases of work, preparing the building for future development and preventing further interior deterioration.
Molds have been made of the remaining original plasterwork to ensure historical accuracy in the final design and restoration.
Sanders Development Group, 8K Company, and DNK Architects as project partners on the renovation. This stage of work involves roof stabilization and building envelope work to unlock the rest of the renovation.
Once Complete
The revitalized Regal will become the new home for ROMAC and provide space for additional theatrical, musical, and arts organizations, as well as co-working space.
About ROMAC
ROMAC’s mission is to celebrate, advance, and preserve African and African American culture and achievement through the arts, history, and education, while uplifting the rich diversity of artists and cultures in the region.
To learn more, visit: https://theromac.org/
Impact:
Once complete, the revitalized Regal will become the new home for ROMAC and provide space for additional theatrical, musical, and arts organizations, as well as co-working space.Project Specs:
The project includes a full renovation of the existing structure to provide space for theatrical, musical, and arts organizations, as well as co-working space.
Partners
