WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Watertown neighbor Bryant Felkins has been going to the Roxy Movie Theater in Lebanon for more than a decade, ever since his family moved to Wilson County.
Now, the movie enthusiast is taking action, he said it comes after noticing the theater has fallen into disrepair.
"Make sure that the management knows that there's a community behind this, and that there are people that still care," said Felkins.
While he used to be a regular visitor, he hasn’t seen a movie there in about a year.
Felkins said the reason for that is the last few times he visited, the theater had deteriorated badly — including reclining seats that had begun peeling.
"I'd get up. I have black marks all over my legs, and I mean the food in the seats," Felkins said.
Other times he said some of the bathrooms weren't working, and he said he'd seen pests there.
The Lebanon Codes Department has two cases actively under investigation at the Roxy.
One involves potholes and drainage in the parking lot, though plans for repaving are scheduled for this month.
The other case is inside the theater and includes reports of pests, restrooms not working, torn seats, and holes in the walls.
According to codes, the bathrooms have since been fixed, and the theater provided proof of working with a pest control company.
Felkins, who grew up visiting the Roxy with his sister Bryley, said the theater holds a special place in his life.
"We moved around 10, 12 years ago, and it was kind of one of the first things we did when we first moved up here, we just go up there," Felkins said.
So he’s hoping the petition will attract the attention of the owners and show them how important this movie theater is to Lebanon and nearby communities.
"I just don't want to see it, go away. I want to see it get better, obviously," Felkins said.
I reached out to the company that owns the Roxy in Lebanon for an interview to include in this story.
When I hear back from them, I will update this article with that response.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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