Bobby Roberts, director of the Central Arkansas Library System, announced today that the library’s board of directors voted to name the new 325-seat theater going into the Arcade Building at President Clinton Avenue and River Market Avenue the Ron Robinson Theater. 

Longtime adman Robinson is donating his truly vast collection of Arkansas memorabilia — posters, sheet music, rare recordings, including six recordings of the “Arkansas Traveler” on Edison discs and other recordings, political artifacts and more — to the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. Clinton School for Public Service Dean Skip Rutherford, who worked with Robinson at the Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, called Robinson a “titan” in Arkansas communications. Rutherford read a letter from Robinson, who could not be present, thanking the board for the naming honor and saying he felt like “the luckiest man on the planet.” 

Advertisement

Roberts took folks on a tour of the Arcade, showing off the state-of-the art theater, which will be used by the Little Rock Film Festival (its offices are on the third floor), the library and available to the public. The theater is a $3 million project; in all, CALS’ development in the building, which includes new space for Butler Center processing (he said the center ran out of space five years sooner than the 10 years he expected it to), an events room on the second floor facing Clinton Avenue directly over retail space on the first, office space for Meadors Adams & Lee insurance company and space for the Clinton School. The building will also house a two-story restaurant CACHE, being designed by the design firm Johnson Studio of Atlanta.
 
Roberts joked that the theater would be open in “December January,” but added that the Clark Contractors construction crew is to turn over the building to the library in December. The theater will be open for regular business in January. 

CALS Director Bobby Roberts in the Ron Robinson Theater under construction in the Arcade Building.

Advertisement

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article GOP poll numbers decline Next article More evidence that Obamacare outreach is working, even as the legislature keeps funding in limbo