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Theater preservation group plans additional fundraisers
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Scott Spielman Editor |
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The Historic Wayne Theater will soon have a different look.
No, it’s not the whole scale change that volunteers have worked for, but it will provide a new holiday look along Michigan Avenue.
Volunteers at the theater hope to put up a holiday mural depicting a miniature version of the roadway, according to Don Nicholson, capital fundraising chairman of the Historic Theatre board. He said he hopes to have the display finished by Thanksgiving.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, so we need some help,” he said.
For the past several weekends, volunteers have been at work in the chilly
interior of the historic structure with plywood cutouts of recognizable store
fronts. He said they would also have a projector outside which will simulate the
interior of the theater—the ‘screen’ will be filled with the image of the
redeveloped theater, which volunteers hope to get under way next
year.
Snowmen will be set up to look like theater patrons.
“We want it to look like Christmas around here,” he said. “When people drive by, we want them to slow down.”
He and other members of the Historic Wayne Theatre board have been heavily promoting the theater this year and increasing efforts to save and restore the historic structure. It was cited by the City of Wayne earlier this year under the Dangerous Building Ordinance, which forces landowners to either clean up or actively try to rent out buildings that have been vacant for more than six months. Activity has been minimal at the theater since a fire destroyed several shops in front of it about 20 years ago.
This year, however, efforts have taken on a more coordinated tone. Nicholson said he has preliminary architecture renderings of a restored theater which call for three floors facing Michigan Avenue where the open grassy area is now. The bottom floor would be a restaurant while the upper two would service as offices and multipurpose rooms for a variety of artistic uses, from music lessons to meeting space for arts groups.
Nicholson has been writing grants, too, to try to come up with some additional funding to make the $4 million project a reality. Several events have been scheduled, the next of which is a benefit concert on Nov. 18 at the Token Lounge in Westland.
“They’re giving us one night every month,” Nicholson said. “They’re giving us the door count for the night.”
That show begins at 9 p.m. Fallen Heroes will perform until 9:40; View from 10-10:40 and Infrastar from 11-11:40. Jesse Passage and Ryan Lanell will perform between sets.
Nicholson said the music community has been very supportive so far.
“The bands have done a lot for us, already,” he said.
Anyone interested in helping out can donate online or find more information at the theater website, www.historicwaynetheatre.com.
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