Patagonia Opens In Former Old Town Theater Space

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Patagonia, a brand specializing in outdoor clothing, has opened in the former Old Town Theater space at 815½ King Street in Alexandria. This is Patagonia's first store in Virginia.

The brand confirmed the opening on its website and social media. Patagonia's website states that it worked to maintain the character and value of the space as a performance venue. The marquee sign reading "Old Town" remains up on the exterior.

"We realize what it meant to see the theater close back in 2014, but we intend to keep a lot of its energy alive by providing a steady stream of events, films and presentations, as well as a gathering place to support environmental nonprofits working to defend clean water and air, protect wildlife and divest from dirty technologies," reads a statement on the Patagonia website. "The stage remains a stage with sound and lighting and the balcony a place to host meetings and events."

The store is open for in-person shopping and curbside pickup. Safety protocols are being implemented, including limits on the number of people in the store at a time. Employees and customers should maintain six feet of physical distancing and use floor markings while in line. There is also enhanced cleaning, increased handwashing by employees, hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes, and regular steaming of garments to maintain cleanliness.

The Old Town Theater, which closed in 2014, dated back to 1914, when it was called the Richmond Theater. As Alexandria's first permanent theater, it had been used for various purchases, including for movies and live theater. It was rebranded as Old Town Theater upon its closure for renovations in 1980. After the theater had closed, the late Alexandria businessman Jeffrey Yates purchasedthe space in 2015 and expressed interest in reopening the theater. After Yates died, Asana Partners purchased the space in 2018. Plans for the future Patagonia store were reported by Washington Business Journal in 2019.