People on this site may be interested to know that the Highland Theater is now in danger of being demolished, or else having the auditorium part torn down and the lobby/front area being converted to other uses. A group of us in the neighborhood are working to prevent this, but it may be difficult. We need to convince the City of Akron (mayor Don Plusquellic) that this is a local treasure worth preserving, or at the very least that public funds should not be used to facilitate it being converted beyond recognition.
As far as we can tell, the owner is salivating at the prospect of selling the land where the auditorium part of the theater now is to either the city or the local schools, to be turned either into parking (of which we don’t need any more – this is a pedestrian neighborhood) or a playground (for which there is other space in the area). We’re trying either to find someone who wants to run it as a theater, or else to find a way to turn it into a non-profit theater/community arts center.
People on this site may be interested to know that the Highland Theater is now in danger of being demolished, or else having the auditorium part torn down and the lobby/front area being converted to other uses. A group of us in the neighborhood are working to prevent this, but it may be difficult. We need to convince the City of Akron (mayor Don Plusquellic) that this is a local treasure worth preserving, or at the very least that public funds should not be used to facilitate it being converted beyond recognition.
As far as we can tell, the owner is salivating at the prospect of selling the land where the auditorium part of the theater now is to either the city or the local schools, to be turned either into parking (of which we don’t need any more – this is a pedestrian neighborhood) or a playground (for which there is other space in the area). We’re trying either to find someone who wants to run it as a theater, or else to find a way to turn it into a non-profit theater/community arts center.