It would be difficult to identify a building in Reno with greater architectural, historical, and cultural significance than what we know today as the Lear Theater. Completed in 1939 as the First Church of Christ, Scientist, the elegant structure has graced the north bank of the Truckee River at 501 Riverside Drive for more than 80 years. And yet its story has become one of repeatedly dashed hopes for its renovation and revitalization.
This online resource was assembled in 2020, when the building was back in the public eye with the announcement that its owner, the nonprofit organization Artown, was considering a new proposal to restore it. That proposal was not pursued, and in September of 2021, the Reno City Council approved the City's purchase of the church building and adjacent parking lot from Artown for a total of $875,000.
It is our hope that the materials posted here can continue as a valuable resource, helping the community to understand what makes this building so significant, what protections are in place to preserve that significance, and what any new plan for it should keep in mind.