Valeria Tokun Haga/THE RIDER
The Majestic Theatre in downtown Brownsville was purchased by UTRGV in 2023 and is expected to become a new performing arts center near campus, according to the College of Fine Arts’ 2025-2029 Strategic Plan.
Proposed renovations to the Majestic include a performance hall, ensemble rehearsal space, dedicated dance and theater studios, and a multimedia collaboration area for film, music technology, game design and animation.
The Rider contacted Jeffrey Ward, dean of the College of Fine Arts, and Kurt Martinez, director of the School of Music, regarding the project but was told there are no updates at this time. Ward referred the newspaper to the Office of Construction of Planning, which then directed inquiries to Patrick Gonzales, vice president of University Marketing and Communications.
“[There are] no updates on the timeline for the Majestic,” Gonzales said. “We look forward to renovating that building and creating a performing arts space but, right now, we’re focused on completing the visual arts complex and making sure we have a new home for those students by the Fall 2026.”
Valeria Tokun Haga/THE RIDER
When asked if work on the Majestic would continue after the Visual Arts Complex is completed, Gonzales replied the university is working on other projects.
“[A] big priority for the university at the Brownsville campus is to expand [the] civil engineering and mechanical engineering programs to where students can complete all four years in Brownsville,” he said.
Gonzales noted the expansion was an action item that came out of the task force created through a memorandum of understanding with the City of Brownsville.
Sean Taylor, an assistant professor of voice, said the School of Music currently uses the multi-purpose room in the Music, Science and Learning Center on the Brownsville campus for smaller concerts and leases the Texas Southmost College Performing Arts Center in Brownsville for larger concerts.
“[The multi-purpose room] was designed acoustically as a performance space,” Taylor said. “So, it works. But I think … it’s not an ideal place to have formal recitals. That’s something that having the Majestic or another dedicated large performance space can help [with].”
A student said the lack of a dedicated performance space and facilities in Brownsville has been discouraging.
“It was purchased a while back, and I know it’s supposed to be our new performance arts theater, but nothing has been said about it since it’s been bought,” said Vincent Fierro, a music sophomore. “I feel a little hurt that nothing has been said about that building. If you were to see the current state of where we perform … I mean, we are grateful for it, but it’s a little sad.”
Valeria Tokun Haga/THE RIDER
