The iconic Forest Theatre in South Dallas will finally have a restoration project for its rebuilding and remodeling according to a Dallas Morning News article from November 5 which reports, 

“On Thursday, Forest Forward announced its plans to preserve the historic space and create a cultural hub in South Dallas. The team is planning on adding arts education elements like a motion room, podcasting space and recording booth. There will also be a cafe and the first rooftop bar in South Dallas.

Forest Forward obtained the property in 2017 with the goal of restoring and reclaiming the space. Wattley said that the rejuvenated Forest Theater means bringing opportunity and economic growth to South Dallas.

Alongside the theater itself, Forest Forward hopes to have a larger plan of neighborhood revitalization in the area, including mixed-income housing nearby. Wattley said that one of the keys to economic growth in the area is fostering greater population density.”

But the Forest Theatre was the first of its kind as it stood as an essential hotpot for the community according to a Southern Living article from November 9 which reports, 

“South Dallas’s Forest Theater has a long history of serving the city’s underrepresented populations. When it opened in 1949, it accommodated the area’s largely Jewish community. By the mid-50s, when white flight began to affect the area, it became an important cultural venue among the Black community. As a theater, night club, and live music venue it hosted famed performers like Tina Turner, Prince, Gladys Knight, and B.B. King. 

Despite its significance as a mecca for art and music, as well as its service as a community gathering space for local groups, choirs, and even voting rights campaigns, the theater fell into disrepair. That is until local nonprofit Forest Forward came onto the scene and bought the abandoned venue in 2017.”

Aside from bringing back the performances, the cultural hub restoration is expected to serve as a academic support for the students of Dallas ISD according to a Dallas Morning News article from November 10 which says, 

We’re particularly excited about what the Forest Theater renovation means for Dallas ISD students. Tim Linley, the district’s executive director of academic enrichment and support, said Forest Forward is designing the theater with the needs of Dallas ISD students in mind — particularly the students at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy.

The new academy used to be the MLK Jr. Learning Center until recently and sits a few blocks south of the theater. Officials want it to become a talent pipeline for the Dallas ISD’s renowned Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

The campus will add a grade level each year through eighth grade. Linley said the MLK Arts Academy campus can meet the needs of current students, but the theater will offer professional spaces to older students as they prepare for high school. He described the project as “transformational.”

“We’re extremely excited,” he told us. “I can’t wait for the first time I get to sit in the Forest Theater and watch our kids perform.”

The restoration is expected to be finished by 2024.