About The Ritz at Washington Heights--located at 1201 Beatties Ford Road (on the corner of Beatties Ford Road and Tate Street):
The RITZ at Washington Heights offers the community a creative, culturally-significant, family-oriented, café-style seating space with:
- a play area
- a performance shelter
- outdoor movie theater
- space for public art exhibits
- free WiFi
- a PoleVolt curbside electric vehicle charging station
The 0.17-acre property, that once housed the segregation-era Ritz Theater, is a special place for community members to gather.
The sacred vacant lot was transformed into an education and entertainment hub—intended to strengthen the Washington Heights’ neighborhood by confronting and addressing various community concerns:
• social,
• economic,
• educational,
• health, and
• preservation of the area’s history and culture.
A colorful, picturesque mural is on permanent display by a local artist, Makayla Binter.
Inspirational words by distinguished African-Americans line the walls of the park.
Residents can look forward to scheduled movie-nights and on-going events (subscribe to this website to stay connected) -- see subscription button below.
The inauguration featured sawing a two-by-four instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Officially opened November 6, 2021.
It was a day of Celebration!
Lowe's provided much more than funding . . .
Lowe’s volunteers contributed sweat equity and materials to convert the lot of the former Ritz Theater into The RITZ at Washington Heights community gathering space.