Paving has started at the Lebanon UEC Roxy movie theater parking lot in an apparent effort to address an aspect of deteriorating conditions at the venue found by city codes officials.
The Roxy's parking lot is one focus of two open codes investigations that target the theater at 200 Legends Drive, off Highway 231.
The other codes investigation involves the building's interior.
City inspectors found three women's toilets and one men's urinal not working properly, multiple torn and worn seats and food debris between seats when they inspected the theater. Holes in the walls were found at the entrances to eight theater hallways, according to Lebanon Police Department spokesman Zach Patton.
The theater's condition has also generated an online petition
with 827 signatures as of Aug. 8. It asks management to budget funds for renovations and to establish a timeline to keep the community informed about progress.
The online petition includes:
"By allowing the theater to slip into neglect, we risk losing a critical community resource. It's crucial that we demand immediate action from the management to restore and maintain the UEC Roxy Lebanon movie theater to its former glory."
Parking lot repaving was scheduled in July, but was postponed because of rain before work started in August, police said.
Parking lot deficiencies were documented after a codes officer noted an area with multiple potholes and drain grates in need of maintenance in October 2025.
Lebanon's Board of Appeals allowed the theater management additional time to complete the necessary parking lot repairs due to reported financial hardship.
Some interior improvements have been made, according to a follow-up inspection. Those include three women's toilets repaired and operational and documentation that a new urinal purchased for the men's bathroom to be installed.
Theater management also showed that a licensed pest control company has been servicing the facility multiple times each month, according to police.
Theater management has appealed both codes cases to the Board of Appeals. Theater management has not yet responded to requests from The Tennessean for comment.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Troubled Lebanon Roxy movie theater starts paving. Are more upgrades ahead?
