Private Investors Buy Ramona Landmark

RAMONA , CA-A North County couple has bought and plans to renovate the Ramona Twin Cinema, a landmark on the city’s Main Street.

Orrin and Cheryl Day, Ramona building contractors, hope to have it open as a single-screen theater on March 7 of next year — the same date it opened 55 years ago in 1947. The investors also are building a 25,000-sf office building in the Downtown Ramona area.

The theater closed in January. It was for sale for almost two years. The sale price was listed on its Web site for $429,000 as an ideal location for an antique mall. The Days paid former owner Gary Cook $300,000 last week.

The theater was last renovated in 1975 with a dividing wall allowing two screens.

The investors will spend about $400,000 to improve the theater, including new seats, a new screen, new restrooms and a new ticket booth. The exterior will receive a facelift of its original Art Deco theme.

The Days say Ramona’s design review board has approved the plans. They hope to meet soon with county building officials on the project.