Dumbarton’s historic Rialto has hit the market, with offers over £395,000 invited.
The College Street venue, which closed as a bingo hall in 2020, has been listed by Kirkstone Property for offers over £395,000, with renting also an option for businesses able to stump up £40,000 annually.
Originally opened in 1914 by Joseph Wingate, the picture house could accommodate 1425 people in two theatres during its prime.
It was sold to Green’s in 1924 and sold again to SCVT in 1927 when it was renamed the Rialto Cinema.
It was later rebuilt for cine-bingo (with two small cinemas upstairs in the original balcony area) in the 1980s.
The cinema closed in 1989 and, after brief reopening in 1993 was unsuccessful, closed for good - with Jurassic Park being one of the last blockbusters to be shown.
It operated full-time as Carlton bingo hall between 1994 and 2020, before being closed due to the impact of the pandemic - with seven jobs lost.
Whilst some aspects of the building were modernised to be used as a bingo hall, its original theatres provide plenty of period charm - having been used as storage spaces untouched by the general public since the cinema closed almost 30 years ago.
The projection rooms provide a further glimpse into the past, with projectors - and Rialto branding - still evident.
The listing says that the building would suit a range of uses, and that the current owners are currently renovating it.
It reads: ‘The current owners are currently renovating the subjects and have replaced the entire roof.
‘This vast building would suit a wide range of uses including a nursery, restaurant, religious facility or children’s play area, subject to obtaining any required consents from the local authority.
‘It may also be suitable for conversion from commercial use to residential.’
Last year we reported how a community group had launched a drive to reopen the picture house.
The idea came to Sharon Murphy, who runs Facebook page Save Dumbarton High Street, when she was walking past it and noticed a for sale sign.
At the time Sharon said that she had always reminisced about the days when it was a popular cinema, where youngsters lined up for Saturday matinees and couples flocked to watch blockbuster movies.
Sharon posted her idea on the community page and dozens responded, with the Facebook group ‘Save Dumbarton Rialto’ set up - and currently having 110 members.
Last year she said: “It was quite famous for its Saturday matinees where the kids would get dropped off for a couple of hours while the mums did their shopping in the high street.
“We’d have an ice cream in there and have a great time. Many people remember that and have happy memories of it.
“It was really sad when it closed down because it was such a big part of the community.”
The Lennox understands that any plans for a community-led revival are currently on hold however due to a lack of interested volunteers.
