Who We Are

The Rivoli Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.,(Board of Directors) was founded in 2007 with the mission of rehabilitating the historic Rivoli Theater, and adapting it for reuse as an eastside Indianapolis community cultural center. The building has been mostly vacant since 1992, when it ceased business operations. Several community-based organizations and interested citizens have championed efforts to save the building, in hopes that its reuse will serve as a catalyst for revitalization.

Advocacy efforts on behalf of the Rivoli began in 2003, when Indiana Landmarks began to work with the owner on preservation efforts. A nomination was prepared to list the theater on the National Register of Historic Places, which was approved by the National Park Service in 2004. By doing so, certain grants and Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credits would be available to the owner or developer. A “friends” group was founded named Rivoli Theatre and Concert Hall, Inc., a predecessor to the current organization.

Through a partnership with East 10th Street Civic Association and NESCO, the Efroymson Family Fund and Citizens Energy Group generously contributed funds to undertake an architectural and structural analysis of the Rivoli, as well as a business plan for operations. The report, led by James T. Kienle & Associates, confirmed that the theater remained structurally sound at the time of the study. The business plan proposed that the best use for the building was as a mixed-use cultural center for the Near Eastside.

As the building’s condition continued to deteriorate, the owner made the decision to donate the building to the Rivoli Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. in November 2007. Bringing new life to the Rivoli is an important part of the Greater Indianapolis Neighborhood Initiative (GINI) plan, which indicated a high level of support amongst Eastside neighbors for the theater’s restoration. As the group builds Board capacity, analyzes fundraising priorities—including a new roof—and deals with the everyday issues of maintenance, taxes, and insurance, we continue to focus on our single goal. It is our intent to use a restored Rivoli Theater to revitalize the Near Eastside, using art, film and music to educate and entertain. We hope you’ll join us!