Restored Capitol Theatre to reopen in September
After being closed for nearly 13 years, the restored Capitol Theatre in downtown Davenport is finally ready for its close-up.
The 103-year-old, 1,500-seat theater at 330 W. 3rd St. has been rigorously, lovingly renovated to its former glory — as part of the $24-million restoration and transformation of the 10-story Kahl Building. The Capitol expects to reopen to events (potentially comedy, music, films and dance) this September, according to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber has scheduled a ribbon-cutting for the Capitol on Wednesday, July 12 at 3 p.m.
Under a partnership with Jim Bergman of JNB Capitol Building (which bought the building in 2018 from Scott Community College, when the school opened its new urban campus downtown), the theater renovation work began over three years ago. The Kahl Lofts were done first (completed last September) with 60-plus units, above the Capitol, part of the 1920 Kahl Building on the corner of West Third and Ripley streets.
The Capitol famously hosted Buddy Holly’s last tour, the Winter Dance Party on Jan. 29, 1959 that included Holly (then 22 years old), the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens before their deaths five days later in an airplane crash outside of Clear Lake, Iowa.
In the early-1970s, the Capitol switched to Spanish language films. In 1978, it began screening X-rated adult movies. During the 1980s, it was also used as a Christian Center. From 1990 to 1994, it was a concert hall for country, jazz, and small touring acts, and then for local productions of ballet, community, and college theatre.
The Capitol hosted the Marycrest College Performing Arts Series from 1981 to 1986.
In 1994, the family of Davenport banker V.O. Figge and his wife Elizabeth, who was Henry Kahl’s daughter, donated the building to Scott Community College Foundation, which used it for academic purposes. The Eastern Iowa Community College District announced in August 2014 their intention to leave the Kahl Building and relocate to a new campus downtown.
The theater closed in fall 2010.
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