Philadelphia, PA — At an event in August held at Teatro Puerto Rico, leaders of Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) shared their preliminary master plan for Paseo Boricua—APM’s bold reimagining of Germantown Avenue as a thriving corridor celebrating Puerto Rican culture, commerce, and community pride. The plan includes the restoration of the historic Teatro Puerto Rico, formerly known as the Diamond Theater, which was once a Spanish-language movie house and entertainment venue catering to the Puerto Rican community that lived in North Philadelphia from 1960 to 1975.

Teatro Puerto Rico, once owned and operated by Felix Rodriguez, was one of the few Spanish language theaters featuring Latino movie stars, singers, and wrestlers during that period. APM leaders hope to make the theater a functioning and successful event space again, with the restored venue serving as the anchor for the Puerto Rican arts and cultural development project, Paseo Boricua.

Teatro Puerto Rico was built in circa 1922 and was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in November 2024. Musician and organizer, Andy Molholt, nominated the building to be considered for a historic designation by the Philadelphia Historical Commission with the help of the Keep Society of Philadelphia. He talked about his motivation to save the theater from demolition. “I’ve been a long admirer of this building and of cinema palaces in general. There’s a rich history of cinema palaces in Philadelphia that, unfortunately, most of which are abandoned or have been destroyed. But this building is just so beautiful, and when researching the history of it, I just really thought it needed to be preserved.” 

To many, Teatro Puerto Rico, is a symbol of Puerto Rican cultural resilience, artistic expression, and neighborhood identity.  APM President and CEO, Nilda Ruiz, spoke about the cultural significance of the theater, “This stage is where our stories are told. Spaces like this knit our community together. They reduce isolation, they create safer blocks. It turns pride into progress, and when we invest in a landmark, we invest in the people around it.”

Architect Antonio Fiol-Silva, whose firm SITIO was commissioned by APM to design the project, showed preliminary artist renderings of Paseo Boricua. Fiol-Silva, who led the renovation of the Fringe Arts building, said of the Teatro Puerto Rico renovation, “We’re going to see what is remaining and what we could save, and determine what elements of the stage we are going to lovingly bring back with that history and do justice to it. But we’re also going to modernize it and really make it to be a fantastic vessel for all of the things that are going to happen here, that are educational and so on.” Ruiz said the theater will be more than a performance venue. “It will be a learning space for after school programs, arts, technical theater training, digital media and mentorship programs.” 

Starting at the plaza located at 5th and Berks St., Paseo Boricua will feature an array of colorful kiosks for Latino food and beverage vendors, retail and merchandise businesses, community-oriented services, and kiosks that are interactive and experience based. The revitalization project will also include pocket parks, pedestrian friendly walkways, outdoor seating, arts walks, and the renovation of 611 Susquehanna Street, a vacant building which APM also acquired, to serve as a venue for food and entertainment.

Film & music clips showcasing rare archival footage, vintage Spanish-language cinema, and interviews with family members of the original owner, Felix Rodriguez, were on display in the theater’s lobby. And after Fiol-Silva unveiled plans for Paseo Boricua, event participants shared memories of the theater in its heyday and their visions for the future of the neighborhood. Ruiz says the project will bring in more foot traffic for the surrounding businesses, jobs during and after construction, and a new reason for visitors to discover the corridor.

APM has launched a capital campaign to raise more than $5 million in funds for the project and the amount of money raised in the next year will determine the timeline for Paseo Boricua’s completion. Theater renovations are set to begin immediately and APM staff are hopeful the community will come together to help support the project.