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The Grove
Theater in Oak Ridge, Tennessee is a place of history that holds
many wonderful memories for Oak Ridgers. A review of ownership indicates
that the federal government built the original theater in 1942.
Oak Ridge Theaters, Inc. purchased the theater in 1957 when the
government started selling homes to the residents and some government-held
property to private enterprise. Additional theaters were added to
the complex in 1977, 1979 and in 1998. Cinemark Inc. of Dallas,
Texas purchased the Grove Theater from Oak Ridge Theaters, Inc.
in conjunction with the construction of the Tinseltown Theater in
the city center area. Because Cinemark bought the Grove Theater
to eliminate competition in Oak Ridge, the building remained unoccupied
until it was purchased by High Places Community Church on February
27, 2004.
High Places Community
Church is a non-denominational church that was formed in 1990. As
a native Oak Ridger, the church pastor, Reverend Martin Fischer,
frequented the Grove Theater. Although it is not practical for the
church to renovate and use the entire space as theaters, there is
a strong interest in retaining at least part of the Grove Theater’s
historical value. Preliminary plans are to renovate in such a way
that the building could be used for both church and community purposes,
particularly (but not exclusively) in serving the needs of youth
and children.
Currently, the Grove Theater
hosts numerous community activities and groups, including the Sound Company Youth Choir, guitar lessons, yoga, Aikijutsu training, and much more. In the fall of 2006, the church was approached by members of the community regarding its unfinished 600 seat auditorium. With the high school auditorium undergoing renovation in 2007, the church was asked to consider a partnership with local representatives from the performing arts. This relationship would entail renovating the large auditorium and working together with the arts community to schedule and host peformances, practices, and special events-- particularly during the high school renovation when many of these groups will be without space, but also with a steady eye toward the future and opportunities for collaboration.
At present,
High Places Community Church is not large enough to complete the
renovation process in its entirety, and funding is being sought to make this community performing arts auditorium a reality. Labor has been secured and donated free of charge through Morgan County Correctional Center. To date, many portions of this project have been donated or promised, with more assistance being sought currently. Further information will be made available
on this website as progress is made.
For a list of current contributors, click HERE. (coming soon)
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