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Lear Community Meeting
The City of Reno hosted a community meeting to discuss the future of the Lear on January 10, 2026. The two-hour meeting covered the Lear’s current condition, including the construction activities completed toward its use as a theater, as well as conceptual options with estimated costs to help the community envision the building’s future.
View a recording of the presentation.
In Sept. 2025, the Reno City Council directed that the future of the Lear Theater/First Church of Christ, Scientist be referred to the Historical Resources Commission (HRC) for discussion and recommendations about a community meeting format, topics, and recommendations. Following their review, and the community meeting, recommendations will be presented at a future Council meeting.
Lear Theater/First Church of Christ, Scientist – 501 Riverside Drive
The City of Reno is excited to begin exploring the future of the Lear Theater (First Church of Christ, Scientist) at 501 Riverside Drive. You may remember that during the 1990s and early 2000s, various local nonprofits worked toward adapting this building into a performing arts theater. Though this work was never completed, this beloved and iconic landmark building in the heart of Reno on the river walk is special to many in the Truckee Meadows and especially to the arts community.
The City of Reno finalized the purchase of the building in 2023. City Council dedicated $1,000,000 in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to the Lear Theater in March 2023 to prepare a Historic Structure Report as well as for landscaping and security improvements. The HSR was completed and presented to City Council on December 11, 2024. The physical improvements to the property were put out for bid in the fall of 2024 after a lengthy approval process, and after receiving no responsive bids, the remaining funds were reallocated.
Current Condition
The City of Reno engaged the architectural conservation firm Architectural Resources Group (ARG) to create a Historic Structure Report for the Lear Theater during 2024. The final report was presented to City Council on December 11, 2024. ARG prepared a virtual tour of the interior of the Lear Theater in May 2024.
Read the entire Lear Theater Historic Structure Report
History of the Lear Theater
During the 1930s, two prominent women from Reno’s history, Luella Garvey and Anna Frandsen Loomis, spearheaded a project for the First Church of Christ, Scientist, to construct a new and larger church building. A site was selected at the corner of Ralston Street and Riverside Drive, just across from the banks of the Truckee River. Luella Garvey suggested the church building be designed by a California architect who had designed Garvey’s own residence just a few years prior. The church was constructed and held its first service in October of 1939 and served the congregation for nearly 60 years.
In the late 1990s, the congregation realized a need for a larger venue and began working on finding a group to take over the church and renovate the building as a performing arts theater. In 1998, Moya Lear, a member of the church, advocate for the arts, and local philanthropist, donated over a million dollars toward the purchase of the building by the Reno-Sparks Theater Community Coalition (RSTCC). The RSTCC and later the Lear Theater, Inc and Artown have all worked toward rehabilitating the building into a theater but this work was never completed. The building has been vacant for over a decade and needs substantial investment to ready the building for a new use and make it safe for the public.
Significance of the Lear Theater
The Lear Theater is listed on the National, State, and Local Registers of Historic Places. It is recognized for its distinctive architecture as well as for being the work of a master, the renowned architect Paul Revere Williams.
The building is in the Neoclassical Revival architectural style. Some of the significant architectural features include the twin curving balustrades leading to the entrance patio on the south façade, the four two-story columns in front of the entry portico, the sunburst fanlight, and the ornate oversized windows with diamond-patterned grills that fill the building interior with natural light.
Paul Revere Williams is a nationally recognized architect who was based in Los Angeles, CA. He became known for designing homes for some of Hollywood’s most recognizable celebrities including Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra. He was a prolific and award-winning architect and the first African American to become a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) where he was elected to the AIA College of Fellows. More information about the history of Lear Theater and its architect, Paul Revere Williams.
Information about Preserving Historic Buildings
- City of Reno Historic Preservation
- State of Nevada Historic Preservation Office
- Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
Information about Reno History
Image: Tom Perkins, courtesy of Paulrwilliamsproject.org