NATCHEZ — The glitz may be finally coming back to the Ritz Theater on Commerce Street, nearly 50 years after the movie went dark.

Charlie Watzke, a developer who specializes in restoring historic movie theaters and drive-in theaters, hopes to be in Natchez soon to begin restoration of the historic Commerce Street theater.

“I hope to be working on it by the first of the year,” Watzke said.

The Historic Natchez Foundation, owner of the building, has been looking for a developer for nearly 12 years to restore the theater.

Through the years, several offers have been made, but none included restoring the structure back to its original function, HNF Executive Director Mimi Miller said.

“Our first desire has always been that the Ritz be a movie theater and get its history back,” Miller said.

Earlier this year, foundation treasurer Dennis Switzer read an article in the Mississippi Business Journal about two brothers who were restoring a historic theater on the Gulf Coast. Switzer reached out to Watzke and his brother and convinced them to come to Natchez to see the Ritz.

To the delight of the foundation, the Watzkes expressed interest in the Ritz.

Since then, Watzke’s brother has left the business, but Watzke said he remains excited about the Natchez project.

“I want to the restore (the Ritz) and bring it back to life,” Watzke said. “(Coming to Natchez) is the first thing on my agenda after we finish with our theater in Waveland.”

Watzke said he is hopefully 30 to 45 days away from opening his newest restoration on the coast. The historic Choctaw Cinema in Waveland was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Watzke and his brother bought the theater in 2013.

“It has been a bigger project than I anticipated,” Watzke said. “We have had to gut it and tear down the walls filled with mold-infested insulation.”

Watzke grew up on the coast in Bay St. Louis and New Orleans. His family has been in the movie theater business, Miller said.

“His father and grandfather were both projectionsists,” Miller said.

When the Choctaw Cinema is complete, the theater will have four screens and run first-run movies. Added attractions will include a candy counter, cocktail lounge and dinner theater space, Watzke said.

Plans for the Ritz have not been finalized, but will probably have similar amenities. It will more than likely include a dinner theater courtyard and separate interior theater space, Watzke said.

The Ritz Theater was first opened in December 1935 by Louis Fry, of Natchez, and Laz Abraham, of Port Gibson.

In 1940, the theater was sold to the Saenger Realty Corporation, which operated more than 320 theaters in 12 southern states. Jerry Oberlin family purchased the theater in 1950, and the family continued operating the theater until it closed in the mid-1960s.

The theater was used for storage until its roof collapsed in 2000.

In 2002, the theater was donated to the Historic Natchez Foundation. David Paradise and Burk Baker bought the property when neighboring property owners began to complain about the structure and the threat to their property.

Paradise and Baker immediately donated the property to the foundation.  Since then, HNF has spent more than $130,000 restoring the front façade and marquee, restoring the theater’s neon and other repairs to stabilize the structure.

Miller says Watzke’s interest is “the first glimmer of hope that (the Ritz) can be restored to its original use.”

The foundation intends to give the building away.

“It is a $130,000 sacrifice we are willing to make to give back the town a downtown movie theater,” Miller said.