LaVilla's Ritz Theatre, an African‑American oriented theatre in this Jacksonville neighborhood, is the theatre you have come to see. Designed in the Art Deco style by local architect Jefferson Powell and constructed in 1929 on the site of the Ritz Theater movie house, this house seats 426 and hosts a variety of music, dance and theatrical productions, as well as movies. Its spacious lobby doubles as a venue for private functions, and just off that lobby is the LaVilla Museum, which holds 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) of exhibits.
LaVilla was a thriving, vibrant cultural district from 1921 to 1971, known as the "Harlem of the South," and is considered "the mecca for African American culture and heritage" in Florida. The entertainment district declined in the 1970s as crime increased, but Mayor Ed Austin's River City Renaissance plan dedicated $4.2 million to renovate the theatre and museum; the groundbreaking came in 1998 and the pair reopened on September 30, 1999. Most of the original building is gone; the sign and northwest corner are all that remain.
The historic sign and the northwest corner are what remain — echoes of the 1929 structure standing quietly beside you.