Construction of the new Rockport Center for the Arts is now underway at its new location, which just received the center’s 220-ton, 1940s-era building. The former Kline Cafe building was lifted from its foundation and driven four blocks through the heart of downtown Rockport to 504 S. Magnolia St. 
The cafe became the home of the Rockport Center for the Arts after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the center’s former building in 2017. The cafe was also damaged, but federal grant money and donations helped repair the building, which was located on land previously purchased by the art center for a new location. 
The art deco building has served as the art center since December 2017. As the city of Rockport recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, the center’s board began to dream big about its own future. 
The center purchased new land, freeing the downtown location for  a major real estate development. To save its 70-year-old building, it moved it four blocks on March 31. The $200,000 journey is an amazing piece of time-lapsed video. The move was a joint effort between the art center and its new owner, Upside Ventures LLC of Austin. 
It took Ram House Movers of Sinton a full day to drive the 220-ton building to its new location, a trip that involved two tricky left-hand turns and the dropping of a number of electrical lines to make way for the one-story building. 
The 1.18 acres on Magnolia Street will soon be home to a 22,000-square-foot art center, estimated to cost $8.7 million. Of that, $5 million comes from a U.S. Department of Commerce economic development grant. 
Rockport Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization focused on being the “focal point for art related activities in the community.” The center holds regular art exhibits, classes, performances, and lectures. The art center is a tourism draw, as is its reputation as a prime fishing area. It was included in “The 100 Best Small Art towns of America” list and named as one of America’s Best Places to Retire.