Arcade Theatre sign will light up First Street

FORT MYERS, Fla. The neon sign outside of the Arcade Theatre will shine again after nearly 40 years.

The historic building located on the 2000 block of First Street was built in 1915. The Bill Smith family purchased the theater in 1979 and the sign remained dark for all those years, until tonight.

The sign cost $80,000 to fix and Associate Director at Florida Repertory Theatre Jason Parrish is very excited.

“Every morning I walk under the Arcade sign, the neon sign, and wish that it was lit,” Parrish said. “I’m so happy that the Smith family was able to do it.”

The Arcade Theatre was restored in 1991 and seats up to 393 people. The Florida Repertory Theatre has been entertaining people six days out of the week inside of the building for over 20 years.

“Harvie and Gilmer Heitman built this theatre in 1915 where they hosted vaudeville acts,” Parrish said. “Eventually this place evolved with the times and started showing films. Even Thomas Edison, innovator in motion presentation, was rumored to watch movies here.”

The upper sign will stay lit until 11 p.m. and the lower sign will turn off at 2 a.m.