Significance
The DeLuxe Theater first opened its doors in 1941 to serve as the first African American movie house in Houston and did so until 1969. The next year, the theater reopened as the Deluxe Show, an integrated artist exhibit until 1973, where the theater was vacant until 2008.
Undertaking
In 2008, the City of Houston and the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation wanted to build a culture and arts center on The DeLuxe Theater lot- with plans to either rehabilitate it or demolish the theater. Since the city used grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it and the Texas State Historic Preservation Office conducted the Section 106 process.
Outcomes
Ultimately, the City decided to rehabilitate the theater and an adjoining storefront with the help of Texas Southern University and the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation. The DeLuxe Theater now has a 125-person theater, a flex space/classroom area for the community, an art exhibition space for local artists, and a branch of the Houston Public
So What?
The Deluxe Theater has a rich history involving the African American Community; because of that, the theater was saved! When finding areas of potential effect the government had to look at the historical value of the theater and how it would be lost if the building was torn down.
Section 106
