Here Comes The Neighborhood

The Dunbar Theatre, which opened in 1941, was always more than a movie house in Wichita. The marquee was like a beacon in the McAdams neighborhood. It signaled a welcome place for African-Americans to go in a segregated city. The Theatre anchored a lively corner at 9th and Cleveland streets. It was a place for residents to catch a movie, hit the cafe or drugstore or hair salon, grab an ice cream cone, be social, be seen. There were no barriers. The Theatre was a building and a place — a place for all.

Turning the Lights Back On

The Theatre still stands. Darkened. Vacant. Our plan is to fully renovate the building and return it to use as a community-based cultural performing arts center. It will also serve as an anchor — once again — for retail and other development on the corner, as part of the McAdams Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, adopted by the city in 2003. A new marquee is already up, but there is much to be done before the lights shine again.

See Our Plan

The Big Picture

We see a day when the corner again houses more than the Dunbar Theatre. We envision a Dunbar District. One with the restored movie theater, and a black-box theater next door to hold more performances and community events. It will be a home for education facilities linked to theater arts, a public gallery and bookstore, and a place to hold community meetings. We have our eye on the old drugstore across the street. It should be a cafe or soda fountain, not an empty ruin. Finally, the goal is to develop a new retail space along 9th Street to bring much needed services, shops and life back to the neighborhood.

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The Building Blocks

The Power Community Development Corporation, a group with a mission to revive the inner city, has already made headway on Phase 1 of the project, restoring the theatre. The work includes securing the theatre’s place on the register of historic places, repairing the exterior, restoring the marquee, and painting a mural on the north wall that pays homage to its vibrant history and African-American culture. We need your help to take the next steps.

“Personally, the Dunbar Theatre helped shape my life. I was able to travel around the world as a result of having experiences at the Dunbar. Every child should have the ability to see things (art) in the world and right in their own neighborhood.”

Karla Burns
Broadway Actress
“I am truly excited about the possibilities of the reopening of the Historic Dunbar Theatre, and looking forward to working with the community to make it happen!”

James Arbertha
Executive Director of Power CDC