Magic Palace
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Magic Palace was a magic shop operated by Robbie Arbitelle in the early 1980s.
The original location adjoined the Ritz Theatre on 2nd Avenue North. When the vacant former vaudeville house was put up for auction, he bid to buy it, but lost to the T. M. Burgin Demolition Company. He did salvage a few seats and other memorabilia which he displayed in his shop, even after moving to 1723 1st Avenue North.
The building housing the Magic Palace's second location was demolished in the mid-1980s and is now a parking lot for the Center for Regional Planning and Design.
Arbitelle collected artifacts from Birmingham's rapidly-changing downtown, including seats from the Ritz Theater and a sign from Pasquale's pizzeria.
References
- Ellaby, Liz (July 1, 2011) "BOLO issued for Magic Palace, Ritz Theatre artifacts" 1731 Blog Avenue