The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-18
RICHMOND TO Be GIVEN
SPLENDID new THEATER
Arcadia Gardens, Backed BY $780,
600 Capital, Soon To Be
Erected
WILL HAVE SEATING
CAPACITY OF $500
Biggest Amusement Features to Be
Drawn-OppoFtunity For Wednes-
day Club and Opera Ofrerings-Big
Undertaking.

Believing that Richmond would well
come a handsome theater. the Arcadia
Amusement Corporation has been
formed to erect a structure on Broad
Street between First and Second
Streets. The theater will be designed
on beautiful lines. every opportunit."
for a handsome and comfortable build
ing being utilized.
The entrance TO the theater will
be an Arcade treated after the man
ner common to those In European
cities, the roof OF which viii be Of
glass. The walls will be artisticaily
decorate and used for purposes OF dis
play-At the end-of ~the-Arcade Will
be placed musicians gallery. which
Will serve both the Arcade and the
Palm Court. The court will be beyond
The musicians gallery. 1t will have
a glass roof. will feature a display
fountain and be profusely decorated
with palms. flowers and ferns
The service of iced drinks and re-
freshnents in the Arcade. to the sc-
compartment OF music is a custom very
much in vogue in Italy and france and
immensely popular with the American
toarists II fa expected that the Ar
cade itself viii become as popular an
institution az the theater and II Is
proposed 10 have sundry shops open
ing into Il from each side where ar
ticles. such as flowers, light refresh
ments and all kinds OF novelties with
he sold. as they are In the Burlington
Arcade of London.
Big Ttns specialties.
In addition to these the theater will
be of large proportions and will make
a speciality OF big vaudeville. biz pie
lures and many other attractions the
capacity being so great. that IL called
on I, will be possible TO accommodate
the "Wednesday ciut of the MetTopoli-
tan Opera Company OF New FORK
Experts who have inspected the site
say that II lis the best location in INC
city This section OF Broad Street IL
fast becoming most popula- situated
as II 10 80 near the center OF pspuia-
ton. and accessible 70 all parts Of
Richmond and It's suburbs by the str.@t
railways, The boulevard connectln.
Ginter Park with the business section
will enter Broad Street In this local..
ty.
= The patronage OF places OF amuse.
m ent of this general character Is grow -
ing daily In Richmond. and II 10 con-
servativeiy estimated that when ms
theater Is In operation II will he in
creased to between thirty ard forty
thousand people. Taking the cNarsctt
of the entertainments to be presented
In consideration, In addition to he
accessibility OF the site, and the fact
that II will be the most a.;ractivc
theater In the South large patronage
may reasonably be expected
Capacity VIII BE 4.soo
The main theater will have n seat
ing capacity of 7.5no. Connecting with
II will be the roof garden which VII
acommo date 2.eoe. This feature viii
be appreciated by those who have here
tofore patronxed not stuffy auditor
iums or so-called summer gardens II
will be possible to use both OF these
pacity of $500. The roof garden wa
solas. flowers and vines. and will be
made accessible by moving stairways.
During the winter months the man
agement expects the garden to lie
transformed into an Ice skating coli
scum. which will be made especially at
tractive TO the best OF music. In q
separate and attractively decorated
part Of the building there will be .
palm garden for dancing.
Arcadia Gardens" has been devei-
oped by local bpsiness men who have
carefully considered all phases of the
Their own money has
gone into the snt0prise. II 10 their
desire to make II a community tRair
one thoroughly representative Of the
best interests Of the city.
Capitalized 1T aS0o.00o.
A charter was granted in the name
OF the Arcadia Amusement Corpora
ton, capitalized at 5000. zoe. by the
State Corporation Com mission and the
following are named as officers and
directors who will manage the affairs
of the company: John r. Anderson
Richmond. president; J. J. Pollard
vice president and treasurer. Rich
mond; g. L. stabler. secretary. Wash
ington. Among the promoters are w.
II. Adams. c. T. Norman. Alvin NJ.
Smith, r. W. Powers, Pleasant L. Reed
NJ b. Florsheim. James w. Allison, Jr
and Warren P. Taylor, all Of Richmond
A building similar in design and
size to Arcadia Gardens" 10 being
built at Washington by Messrs. Stabler
and Powers. who have had vaiuabl