Hollywood Theater - A Bright Future?

Recently I had the opportunity to tour the inside of the long-shuttered Hollywood Theater located on Johnson Street in Northeast Minneapolis.  Built in 1935, the magnificent Art-Deco styled theater offered all the modern conveniences of the day with a flair for the elegant.  As the decades passed, however, the majestic neighborhood theater lost its luster and fell upon hard times with the advent and success of the regional multiplex cinemas.  The theater closed in 1987 after showing close to a thousand films to hundreds of thousands of Nordeast residents.  

There have been many efforts undertaken over the years to renovate the theater to its former glory, as was done to the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights, but the restorations proved too costly and the building has sat vacant since it closed. The City of Minneapolis acquired the theater for redevelopment in 1993 but found no takers. Recently it was announced the City had agreed to sell the theater for $1 to a developer who intends to undertake almost $2,000,000 in renovations in the hopes of attracting a new user for the building.  

I know many people have toured the interior and likely all have similar photos, but this was my first time and it may be my last time before work commences.

Looking up toward the theater's projection room

Looking down toward the tattered screen

Gilded pillars line both sides of the theater, framing the private viewing areas

The theater could accommodate almost 1,000 people

The lobby fountain, an elaborate theater centerpiece

I have my fingers crossed that this time, this developer will be successful in his efforts to restore the venerable Hollywood Theater and find a user appropriate for the neighborhood. This property has sat vacant far too long, its inner beauty left concealed and hidden from view.  Let's hope that's about to change.