Lenoir passes ordinance to vacate and close historic theater

Driving through Lenoir, it’s hard to miss the historic Center Theater, with plywood covering every door and window, paint peeling off the walls, and faded and chipped lettering spelling “THE HARRIS BROTHERS LENOIR, NC” across the marquee.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Lenoir City Council voted unanimously to vacate and close the building, which restricts occupancy until repairs are made or the property is sold — but the city has no intentions to demolish.

“It’s an iconic building in our downtown,” said Hannah Williams, Lenoir’s planning director, in a phone interview in late August. “We don’t want to see it demolished. We want to see it closed safely to the public and, ultimately, we would love to see it put into active use. Everyone in this community would want to see that building put into some kind of active use.”

During her presentation at the council meeting, Williams explained that the theater was actually part of the reason why the National Register Historic District in Lenoir was expanded in 2013, and that the vacate and close ordinance would not limit repairs to the building, but would keep the building empty until Reginald and Charles Harris, also known as the Harris Brothers — the owners, according to county documents — could renovate or sell.

“As a longtime Lenoir resident, and having seen ‘Star Wars’ in that theater for the first time whenever it came out — I remember that quite vividly,” said Council member Jonathan Beal, “I would love to see this property, and all of our properties in uptown Lenoir, back into service. That’s really the goal of all of these ordinances.”

WHY SO MANY

ORDINANCES RECENTLY?

Three weeks ago, the council voted to close and secure an abandoned industrial building on Willow Street NW. This week, the council opted to demolish the structure at 507 Finley Ave., a decrepit building entwined in vines and crumbling under the elements.

“There was kind of a push for that through our comprehensive plan process, which was adopted in August 2025,” Williams explained. “Council has identified some strategic goals around anything that does look blighted or empty. We want them to be in active and productive use that supports the surrounding area and supports the economy, rather than threatening neighboring properties or our public spaces or public walkways.”

Williams was referring to the Living Lenoir 2045 Comprehensive Plan, a successor to the 2007 Comprehensive Plan and developed by the Lenoir Planning Department, which serves as a guiding document for future developments.

As statutes have changed, so have city ordinances, Williams explained. The planning department took on new roles in ordinance regulation, which included evaluating properties around the city that were in disarray and working with the owners to clean up the space.

The “initial sweeps” of the city were in February and March, but City Manager Scott Hildebran said in the Aug. 18 city council meeting that the Willow Street property was expected to be “the first of many,” which would come in the following weeks and months.

“That always starts with giving the owner time to do it themselves,” the planning director said. “If they don’t fix it within 90 days — we’re only required to give 90 days, but in these cases, we’ve given quite a bit more than that — if the cost to improve the building is greater than 50% of the building’s value, then you can pass an ordinance to demolish, where the city would take on that work.”

If the cost is less than 50%, the city can choose to vacate and close the property. The actions taken by the city accumulate as liens, which are held against the owner, said Williams.

“We really do work toward owner-abatement or owner-compliance first,” Williams reiterated. “I see the severity of having the local government close or demolish your building. Those aren’t things I take lightly, so if there’s a path forward, I’d rather see owners taking responsibility for these.”