River Market theater seeks entrance arrows

Visitors say door in alley hard to find

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/MELISSA SUE GERRITS - 04/09/15 - A woman walks passed the alley off River Market Avenue that leads to the Ron Robinson Theater April 9, 2015.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/MELISSA SUE GERRITS - 04/09/15 - A woman walks passed the alley off River Market Avenue that leads to the Ron Robinson Theater April 9, 2015.

The Central Arkansas Library System-run Ron Robinson Theater wants a pointer -- or two.

Due to confusion by patrons about where exactly the theater entrance is located, the River Market Design Review Committee will consider Tuesday a request from the library system to add a lighted arrow denoting "entrance" at the bottom of the existing vertical retro-looking signs.

Ron Robinson Theater is located in the new Arcade Building at 100 River Market Ave. The existing signs are on the southeast and northwest corners of the building. The arrows would point theatergoers to the entrance, which is down a lighted alley.

"Because it's not on a street front, it's difficult sometimes for people to find the main door," Susan Gele, assistant director for public relations for the library system, pointed out.

"We haven't had complaints," she said. "Sometimes we have people who come to events right toward the starting time. They could have had trouble finding their way in, or they could have had trouble finding a parking spot.

"We're just trying to make as easy to find as possible," she added.

The design committee is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday on the third floor of the River Market offices.

The double-faced arrows are already made, said sign-maker Reggie Adams of Adams Signs in North Little Rock. City staff recommend approval of the pointers. Adams made the original Ron Robinson Theater signs.

"I suggested we put a couple of cool-looking arrows on there that kind of have that 1940s design," Adams said, referring to the existing signs. He said the arrows will together contain 64 amber-colored incandescent light bulbs.

The five-member River Market Design Review Committee has a strict guidelines about signage in the River Market area. Projecting signs cannot extend above the sill of any second-story windows, and may extend no more than 3 feet from the building.

In the case of Ron Robinson Theater, the original sign was already larger than allowed by city ordinance, according to a report generated for the design committee by city staff.

Ron Robinson Theater is not to be confused with Robinson Center , named for Joe T. Robinson. The downtown auditorium is undergoing a major renovation.

At Tuesday's meeting, the committee also will discuss changes to the River Market Design Overlay District Ordinance.

Business on 04/11/2015

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