By Blake Deshazo

The Selma Times-Journal

After the success the Walton Theater experienced during the “Selma” showings in January, the hometown theater should soon be back in business.

Pending final approval from the Selma City Council, the theater is set to reopen its doors to moviegoers in March.

The theater will be leased to All Things Are Possible (ATAP) Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization in Selma, who will manage the day-to-day operations.

“I think Selma needs a theater,” said John Grayson, CEO of ATAP, during a Wednesday meeting for the Selma Public Buildings Committee. “We have a need for entertainment here in town. As large as Selma is, I think Selma should have its own theater.”

According to Grayson, the Walton Theater will show first-run movies every Thursday through Sunday, along with some holidays that fall on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

“We want to have a family theater showing family movies that people can come out and enjoy on weekends,” Grayson said.

The reopening of the theater will give people more options for entertainment in Selma, as well as provide financial benefits to the city.

“It gives young [people] as well as adults entertainment, and also it creates revenue for the city of Selma,” Grayson said.

According to Grayson, the theater will employ between four and eight people.

But before the theater is ready to reopen its doors, there are a few things ATAP has to do to prepare.

“We’re getting several new things in order to accommodate the citizens and the customers that come into the theater,” Grayson said. “We are buying new computers, shelves and popcorn machines.”

While most of the details have been hammered out already, Wednesday’s meeting focused on clearing dates that were previously booked for private events between March and July. After July there are no events scheduled with the exception of Holiday House.

While some events may be asked to move to other city-owned buildings, Holiday House will cohabitate the theater with ATAP in December.

During the meeting, Grayson said ATAP was willing to work with dates that were already booked.

The theater was originally set to reopen March 1, but a week filled with a multitude of events for the Bridge Crossing Jubilee forced the city to push the opening back to March 12.