After sitting dormant for nine years, Avondale Estates’ Towne Cinema will reopen later this month as an eclectic arts venue. Longtime local band roadie/set builder and entrepreneur Tony Longval has spent the past 18 months getting the building up to code before giving it a thorough renovation. The first-floor auditorium holds 300, and the second-floor has a piano bar open until midnight, featuring menus from which patrons order food from nearby restaurants.
Longval says he’ll feature improv comedy, acoustic, country, jazz, rock and bluegrass music. The ribbon cutting is Aug. 28, with the first event the next day, a Cuban food-and-music festival featuring an 11-piece band. So far Longval’s booked four shows through year’s end.
The building dates to 1924 when it was originally the post office and city hall. It was served as Avondale’s movie theater from 1938 until roughly the mid-1960s.
About the Author
