Park I & II Theatre

The battle is lost. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1783568838634123/permalink/2998274050496923/

They are already making progress on the stagehouse. Once it gets to the auditorium forget it.

Demolition of the former Capitol / Park Theater on Washington Avenue in Racine began three days ago despite continuing pleas to the mayor, Cory Mason, for delays so the Friends of the Capitol Theatre could present its plans for saving it.

The daily Racine Journal-Times wrote that demolition was authorized for this month but was delayed by recent heavy snowfall.

The Friends of the Capitol Theater announced that it had raised sufficient funds to meet the theatre’s most pressing needs, but the group’s hard-fought and vocal efforts were unsuccessful in convincing city officials to delay demolition.

The Journal-Times reported that despite city leaders' repeated insistence that the building complex could collapse and injure someone or damage property with resultant litigation, the paper reported that the building was steadfast and its roof held tight during the recent onslaught.

The following is the Wisconsin State Historical Society’s file on the CAPITOL Theatre:

“3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. Historic Name:Capitol Theatre Reference Number:120910 Location (Address):3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE County:Racine City:Racine PROPERTY FEATURES Year Built:1928 Survey Date:20012015 Historic Use:theater Architectural Style:Mediterranean Revival Structural System:Brick Wall Material:Brick Architect:Dick and Bauer Additional Information:A ‘site file’ exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Resurveyed 2015.

Built in 1928 as Capitol Theater. Movie theater and vaudeville stage. Theater twinned in 1976, closed in 1986.

2016- “The Capitol Theatre is located on Washington Avenue on the far west side of the city of Racine in the neighborhood of West Racine (Figures 1 and 2). The building occupies the entire parcel on which it sits. A sidewalk parallels the north side of the property and a narrow alley runs the length of the east side of the property between it and a commercial building and parking lot. Additional parking lots are located to the west and south of the property. Residential parcels are located at the southern end of the west side of the property.

Exterior The two-story Capitol Theatre was constructed in 1928.1 It has a rectangular footprint with an angled facade to conform to Washington Avenue (Figure 3). The building has a flat roof with a brick chimney stack. The rear portion, where the stage/screen was, is a story taller than the front of the building. The facade front Washington Avenue is divided into three sections consisting of a central pavilion housing the theater entrance flanked by a storefront bay on either side. The pavilion has a front gable roof that is capped in large tiles and is framed by wide brick pilasters. The pilasters have concrete caps. A decorative motif adorns the east pilaster. The pavilion’s second story is brick with tiled and stucco panels. A prominent window display on the pavilion’s second story consists of three one-over-one sash windows in arched openings. Each arch is framed in alternating bricks and concrete pieces, and Ionic pilasters flank the center window. Each of these windows has a relief motif set into the arch above the window opening.

The theater marquee divides the first and second story of the pavilion. The marquee angles outward over the sidewalk and has a stepped, vertical panel of lights at its center. The sides of the marquee have backlit message boards with changeable lettering. Each side is topped by a backlit sign that reads “The Park.” The theater entrance is glazed with two pairs of off-center glass doors with glass transom windows, and a plate glass display window is located to the west of the doors. The walls surrounding the entrance are clad in vertical wood siding.

The flanking storefront sections each have a shallow, tiled, shed roof within the parapet. Both sections are divided into three fenestration bays and have a single brick dentil course directly below the shed roofs. The walls are brick and have decorative brick and tile panels below the second-story windows, and concrete belt courses above the storefronts. The second-story windows are one-over-one sashes. The east section’s second-story windows are capped with lintels of alternating brick and concrete pieces. The east section’s storefront has a transom window that consists of square glass lights and spans its full width. The east two bays are glazed with plate glass display windows resting on a tiled wall. The store entrance is angled and recessed in the westernmost bay.

The west section’s second-story windows are also one-over-one sashes, but are unevenly spaced. The eastern and central bays have lintels of alternating brick and concrete that match those on the east section; however, the outer, western window is set into an arched opening with a motif that matches those in the center pavilion. The distinction between the western window bay and the other two bays is also enhanced by a small break in the belt course. The window’s arch is mirrored on the bay’s first story, which consists of an entrance recessed within an arched entryway. The arch is comprised of composite pilasters that are topped by alternating brick and concrete pieces on the outside of the arch and narrow concrete pieces on the inside. A storefront occupies the eastern two first-story bays of the west section. The easternmost bay is glazed with a large, plate glass display window resting on a tiled wall. The central bay has an angled, recessed pedestrian door. The remaining storefront wall is clad in vertical wood siding.

The east, west, and south elevations consist of brick walls with minimal fenestration. The east elevation has a stepped parapet near the center of the elevation. A pair of one-over-one sash windows is located on the second story of the north end, with a single one-over-one sash window below.To the south of the paired windows is an enclosed porch with a doorway and two plate glass windows, and is clad in horizontal siding. A window is located below that has been infilled. A single one-over-one window is located towards the south, rear portion of the east elevation, and several paired doors are located below grade along the elevation. The rear, south elevation has paired doors on the east and west ends of the first story, and a long, narrow window above a concrete block-filled portion towards the west side. The west elevation has a stepped parapet that mirrors that on the east elevation, and paired, single windows towards the north end. The approximate northern one-third of the west elevation has been covered in stucco.

Interior The main entrance of the theater, located below the marquee in the central pavilion section, opens onto a long, narrow lobby. The floor is tiled and the ceiling is coated in plaster with a rough finish. The side walls are divided into sections by pilasters, which are topped by an entablature with ornamental plaster running the length of the lobby. Within each segment is a rectangular panel, with ornamental plaster along the edges and glass-front display units in the center, which are also surrounded by ornamental plaster and topped by hooded light fixtures. To the rear of the lobby is a small foyer with an arched ceiling and ornamental plaster along the cornice. Small restrooms are located on the east and west sides of the foyer. The projection room is located above the foyer.

The original theater auditorium is located behind the foyer. The interior of the auditorium has been heavily altered from its original configuration. In 1975 and 1976, the theater was divided into two separate screening rooms? This was accomplished by bisecting the main theater down the center, from north to south. A partition wall was installed by cutting directly through the oval, coffered, plaster ceiling. The coffered ceiling contains ornamental plasterwork along the interior margins, and decorative stenciling is located between the coffer and exterior corners of the auditorium. In addition to loss of original material, there are many holes and other damaged areas in the ceiling. Other alterations have included installing a new wall at the front of the theater for the projection screen, installing fabric panels on the walls, and installing a ventilation system and drop ceiling, which also resulted in significant damage to the plaster ceiling. Some ductwork, and the metal skeleton of the drop ceiling and several ceiling panels remain. No theater seats remain in the building.

Behind the projection screen wall is the original stage/screening area of the theater, which was not as impacted by the interior remodel. Segments of the original plaster on the walls remain, including fluted pilasters and large panels outlined in ornamental plaster that reach from the floor to the ceiling. A large pilaster on each side, with paired brackets, supports a large arch spanning the width of the theater that has ornate plasterwork. A portion of the large, coffered ceiling is visible, although it was also bisected by the projection screen wall. To the front of the coffer is an ornate ventilation grill surrounded by stenciling.

The stage is surrounded by a large, wide proscenium arch that is covered in ornamental plaster, which is painted in many places. Above and to the front of the stage is an oblong ceiling coffer. To the sides, and slightly in front of, the stage, are two opera boxes. These are also set within arches that have ornamental plaster, and above each arch is a decorative plaster wreath and garland."

Bibliographic References:“Park I and II Theater.” Accessed April 1, 2015. www. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7439. RECORD LOCATION Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin

Preservationists say they have the money to save the Capitol-Park Theater; seek meeting with city leaders

RACINE — The contract that authorized Azarian Wrecking to demolish the Capitol-Park Theater on behalf of the City of Racine went into effect on Tuesday. On Thursday afternoon, the building was still standing, the reason for the delay unknown. The demolition authorization lasts until near the end of the month. Sam Azarian, owner of Azarian Wrecking, did not return calls Thursday. Jonathan Eeg and Reme Bashi — members of the community trying to save the historic theater — were out in front of the building on Thursday, despite the freezing temperature.

“We’re still hopeful,” Eeg said.

The Friends of the Capitol Theater announced this week they had raised the money in pledges needed to address the city’s most pressing concerns, 1. That the building is dangerous, and 2. The city would be liable if anyone were hurt as a result.

“We can start next week,” Eeg said of the plan to secure the building.

They also submitted a 7-page development/restoration plan to the city.

They continue to seek a meeting with city leaders, namely Mayor Cory Mason.

Growing response

The group Friends of The Capitol Theater released a photo this week of the snow accumulated on the Capitol-Park’s roof, an aerial photo that showed the roof had not collapsed under the first serious snowfall of the winter.

Ken Plaski, the city’s chief building inspector, predicted the roof could collapse in the first big snowstorm. But the historic building withstood the storm, again.

Bashi said pledges and contacts continue to come in — not only from the U.S. but from other countries, as well.

Musicians especially are interested in the Capitol-Park Theater because it is where Waukesha-native Les Paul — then known as Red Hot Red — allegedly “got the bug” to be a performer and musician. Paul went on to invent the solid body electric guitar and is now enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bashi said she only recently became aware the theater was in trouble. So, she went to work contacting people and trying to get the word out.

She said there were so many uses for the old theater, including the potential for a Racine Cultural Art Center.

“It costs the city nothing to wait,” Eeg said, explaining if the group just had three months, they could demonstrate for the city that the building could be saved.

City leaders have repeatedly expressed concern that the building could collapse and injure someone or damage property. Were that to happen right now, prior to anyone else taking over the building, the city (and thus taxpayers) could be held liable.

https://www.wpr.org/listen/1757036 Wisconsin Public Radio report.

Group seeks to stop demolition of historic Racine theater (Bret Lemoine, FOX6 News Milwaukee)

Eleventh-hour efforts are underway in Racine to try to save the historic Capitol Theater, which later became The Park.

City leaders said it’s too late, and it will be demolished in a matter of days. The latest, and possibly last, chapter for the theater plays out like a Greek tragedy. “There has been neglect. We admit that. The building does need work,” said Judith Schulz. Schulz and members of her Capitol Theater Friends group were met by Racine police Friday morning, Jan. 29 – stopping her or anyone else from getting inside the nearly 100-year-old building. The city’s building inspector posted notices on all of the theater’s entrances, saying the building is not condemned. Schulz said supporters have made pledges to restore it, but “not enough” money has been raised thus far but there is “enough to do the roof repairs.” The Capitol Theater, renamed The Park, in Racine The $40,000 they have been able to generate so far would only dent the $157,000 in unpaid property taxes that have accumulated over the last decade. “We could fix this. We could fix this in no time,” Jonathan Eeg said. Supporters are asking for a three-month extension to the raze order. “It’s never too late,” said Schulz. “The inside, the proscenium, the stage, the orchestra pit are still there. It’s like walking into time. And now, there’s a strong possibility that time has run out. The city is telling the group that representatives from the historical society will come and photograph the building’s interior before it is torn down on Feb. 9. In a statement, listed in full below, the city acknowledged the group’s good intentions, while providing some hard truths:

“The City of Racine appreciates the dedication and enthusiasm of those individuals who want to preserve the Park Theatre. Unfortunately, the current owner of the building is engaged in what we call demolition by neglect. He has allowed the building to fall into terrible disrepair, has not paid taxes in many years, and is now looking to off load the property to avoid his responsibilities. While the group from West Racine has the best intentions, they have not been able to raise enough funds to cover the cost of repairs, take on the tax liability from the current owner which is necessary to acquire the property, or begun the capital campaign to raise the 9-13 million dollars to restore the building. The process the group outlined to the City includes hopes that the County will forgive the back taxes, foreclose on the property, transfer it to the City, and assumes the City would be willing to take on the liabilities owning a property in that condition. Even if this process were possible, it would require multiple votes from the County Board and City Council, and would take a significant period of time. While we understand that local residents have asked others to review the condition of the building, City elected leaders and staff must trust and rely on the 30 years of expertise that our Chief Building Inspector has in evaluating structures. He takes no pleasure in having to take down a building like this, but does not believe the structural integrity of the building will withstand harsh winds or heavy snows, let alone, the pounding and shaking of road construction set to begin adjacent to the building this spring. We hope the local residents will find other buildings which are less far gone to invest in and preserve, and that as a City, we must find ways to hold property owners responsible so that this scenario does not continue to repeat itself.”

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158922372623620&id=742633619 This is a petition to delay demolition in order to allow the Save The Capitol Theatre group more time to effect preservation.

(Racine Journal Times, Jan.19 2021) An inside look: The Park doesn’t appear to be in imminent danger of collapsing as city debates demolition.

RACINE — Two structural engineers examined The Park theater on Thursday, each independent of the other, and concluded the historic theater is in no imminent danger of collapse.

The Park, originally known as The Capitol Theater, has been under a raze order for more than two years after the city’s building inspector determined it was a threat to the safety of the community.

The engineers were Jeanne Denney of Racine — who worked as a structural engineer for 15 years before leaving to pursue other endeavors, according to her website — and John Gotter of Milwaukee.

According to Judith Schultz, of the Friends of the Capitol Theater, the two engineers welcome members of the Racine City Council to call with any questions they may have.

Schulz said both reported while the building needs work, it isn’t in danger of collapse. She added her hope the findings of the engineers would convince the City Council to put a pause on the process and give the community time to act.

The groups working to save the building say they are in the process of obtaining insurance. If they do acquire that, the City of Racine would no longer bear the fiscal responsibility if something were to happen to the building or someone were to be hurt by it — such as if part of the roof falls off and injures someone or damages property, at which point the city could be liable. “We’re not asking (the City Council) to stop and walk away,” Schulz said while pleading for more time. “We understand that if we can’t raise the money they will raze it.”

Architect’s report The theater has now been examined by two engineers and an architect specializing in historic restoration, Stephen E. Mar-Pohl of InSite Consulting Architects; all three agreed the building is not in danger of imminent collapse.

Here is an excerpt from the report by InSite Consulting/Stephen E. Mar-Pohl on The Capitol-Park Theater. InSite Consulting has been to the site three times and has flown a drone over the top to examine the roof.

Mar-Pohl has 30 years of experience that includes evaluating the structural integrity of buildings; identifying factors that make buildings unstable, stabilization, restoration; and determining potential costs.

The report prepared by Mar-Pohl indicates while the roof of the building has allowed water to enter the structure, the construction of the building was such it was able to withstand the impact of the water.

Mar-Pohl’s report indicated the structural elements while stressed were “showing only minor to moderate deterioration to a level that is relatively easy to stabilize, not particularly difficult to fully restore, and are very restorable.”

Although the estimated cost of a full restoration is $10 million to $15 million, the cost of emergency repairs is much less, the report said.

The Mar-Pohl report estimates the roof would need $15,000 in repairs within the next 1 to 3 years and a new roof within the next 10 years at a cost of about $250,000. The exterior would need about $88,000 in immediate repairs to the stucco on the west side, the parapets and the masonry.

Outside of extraordinary events, Mar-Pohl concluded, the building was in no danger of catastrophic failure within the next three years.

Mar-Pohl indicated InSite has been involved in the restoration of buildings in much worse condition that have been given a second life, such as the Garver Mill project in Madison.

When it was constructed in 1928, the building was known as the Capitol Theater. When it was remodeled into a movie theater, it was renamed The Park.

That reconstruction involved building, in 1976, what is functionally a second, smaller structure for showing movies within the larger brick structure.

The movie structure consists of false walls and a dropped ceiling. Schulz noted, during a tour of the building with a Journal Times reporter, that the internal structure is what is falling down and that the full structure isn’t collapsing.

There is no electricity inside The Park, so she shined a large flashlight over the dropped ceiling to show a metal framework where the ceiling tiles, which have now fallen to the floor, used to reside.

“I’ve seen in the newspaper (that) the building inspector said there’s more holes in the ceiling than ceiling,” Schulz said. “That’s what he’s talking about (the false ceiling) and it gives you the wrong impression because it isn’t the structural ceiling, it’s that false ceiling, and it has to go anyway.”

She explained during the process of restoring the theater, this second structure would likely be removed.

The tour was conducted by Schulz and Pippin Michelli, two preservation/history enthusiasts, with permission from the building’s owner, John Apple.

The preservation activists have begun to refer to it as the Capitol-Park Theater.

Due to the false wall that was built to hold the movie screens, the part of the building that housed the proscenium stage where plays were performed has been sealed off for 45 years.

A hole has been cut in that wall that allows visitors to step through and see the 1928 portion of the building.

“We’ve just stepped back in time,” Schulz said stepping through. “I had no idea this existed until last year.”

Painted plaster within the dilapidated and potentially doomed former Capitol Theater are one of the unique features of the historic building that later became The Park movie theater.

The proscenium that frames the stage is entirely intact, the curtains are believed to be the originals from 1928, and even the colored bulbs used to set the mood for vaudeville shows and silent movies remain.

Michelli, who described herself as an architectural historian, pointed to plasterwork on the proscenium arch, explaining that the painted plasterwork is one of the features that make the theater special.

There are similar types of plasterwork in European buildings, she said, but the decorative features are never painted.

Paul Zens, who also is involved in the effort to save the historic theater, noted that the fly infrastructure remains, which is usually not the case with historic theaters. The fly infrastructure supported the theatrical rigging system that allowed scenery, curtains, and sometimes objects to be raised and lowered.

The realities Along with the special architectural features are other realities of historical preservation. Schulz recalled someone saying the building needed to be cleaned up. “He is right,” she said with a laugh.

The birds that have been living in the theater loft have left a mess. The city’s building inspector noted in a report that “accumulation of feces in the basement level resulting (in) related odors emanating from the building at the sidewalk.”

But, Schulz attested, “that is no reason to tear down a building.” While there is a mess, the mess can be cleaned up and the history preserved, according to Schulz.

Michelli claimed that the interior of the Horlick Malted Milk campus was described as being in much worse condition than the theater, but the Horlick is getting a second life thanks to $100 million of planned investment. That level of investment, or anything close to it, has been lacking for The Park.

Other communities, too, have pulled together and saved their old theaters. Just across the Illinois border in Waukegan, for example, $23 million was spent to restore the historic Genesee Theater, which opened one year before The Capitol.

Here’s a new funding appeal: https://www.capitoltheaterracine.com/pledge/

A condemned historic theater, the subject of a struggle between the City of Racine and local preservationists, has received a midnight reprieve from the wrecking ball. Alderman Jeff Coe successfully argued recently that the city did not follow proper procedure in seeking funds to carry out the raze order on The Park.

The Council voted 9-3 to send the matter back to the Public Works and Services Committee for consideration on funding for the demolition of the building.

Aldermen Melissa Lemke, Jeffrey Peterson and Marcus West all voted against the measure. The same three earlier voted against giving the building historic landmark status.

The move to send the matter back to committee likely only buys The Park about eight days.

By law, the Wisconsin Historical Society has until Jan. 11, 2021, to photograph the old building because it has historical landmark status, which was granted on Dec. 3, 2020. Six companies have submitted bids for the demolition of The Park:

Azarian Wrecking LLC $199,777.00 Veit $225,000.00 Dore & Associates Contracting, Inc $227,600.00 The MRD Group $236,400.00 Jaramillo Contractors, Inc $245,000.00 Vassh Excavating & Grading $248,972.00 Before the voting could be conducted, Coe raised two issues. This first was the potential abatement cost for some of the environmental issues connected to the building, such as asbestos. As it turned out, that has already been contracted out. The second issue was that of process. “I would like this item sent back to committee,” Coe said. “It should not have come before us without having gone through Public Works.” Mayor Cory Mason countered, saying the matter never needed to go through committee; it was allowed by law to come before the council on a direct referral. However, Mason conceded, it was also true the City Council could vote to send it back. There has been some dispute on the structural integrity of the building: Ken Plaski, the city’s chief building inspector, condemned the building in part due to his concerns in that area.

At the Dec. 15 meeting, Plaski raised an issue that he has raised in the past: The masonry is in such bad condition that it could fly off in a storm and potentially create a hazard on Washington Avenue.

“This building needs so much money to be restored, it’s such a danger now, if there should be a heavy snow load, if there should be a strong wind, you have four sides of that building that could shed its brick façade and come down,” Plaski said.

City Attorney Scott Letteney confirmed the lack of structural integrity represents a potential liability for the city. If the city knew of the potential danger, took no action and someone were hurt as a result, the injured person could sue the city for damages. Coe countered that experts brought in by preservation activists disputed that claim, and he wanted to hear the opinion of a structural engineer. The Park has been under a raze order since July 2018. The owner, local resident John Apple, has been able to delay the process of razing the building — first by taking the matter to court and then by seeking a historic landmark designation.

Friends of The Capitol Theater, a group interested in saving the historic building (which was known as The Capitol Theater before becoming The Park), have delayed the raze order by organizing a response from the community to saving the building.

Friends of The Capitol Theater has brought in experts to counter the findings of Plaski, who issued the raze order on the grounds the building is a public hazard.

The group maintains it has accepted pledges from the public toward possible stabilization and restoration of the building.

New CAPITOL Theatre website: www.capitoltheaterracine.com

The city ordered the demolition of West Racine’s former Park Theatre eight months ago, and for that span of time, it has seemed like a sure thing. It is run down, condemned, vacant and in dire need of repairs. But a small group of city residents is hoping to give the theater a second act before wrecking crews knock down yet another one of Racine’s 20 former movie theaters, of which just seven remain standing today. Originally opening as The Capitol Theatre in 1928, the Park went on to show movies for 59 years. The property, purchased in 2006 by John Apple, is currently used as storage. “I’d like to save this one, if nothing else,” said Nancy Simonson, treasurer of the neighborhood group West Racine Alliance and one of the organizers of Friends of the Capitol Theater, the group looking to salvage the theater. “This city needs a theater.”

Saving the decaying structure would be a tall order, according to city officials. Apple owes $140,975.16 in delinquent taxes on the building dating back to 2008, records show. If the Friends of the Capitol Theater group were to purchase the building from Apple, it would still need to pay all delinquent taxes and invest more than $800,000 to get the building into a basic usable state before any renovations could be done, said Ken Plaski, the city’s chief building inspector. “There’s more holes than there is ceiling, actually,” Plaski said. A flock of birds has also been living in the building for a decade or more, and there is 3 to 4 inches of bird excrement piled up where they nest, he added.

The entire property is assessed at $150,000, but the theater itself contributes only $107,800 of value to that total. “You’re looking at a structure that not only has low value and hadn’t been maintained, but has actively been demolished by neglect of the current property owner,” said Amy Connolly, director of city development.

Simonson acknowledged “there’s a whole slew of things to get done” with the theater, but said she still wants to salvage it. “It’s not in great shape, but it’s doable,” Simonson said. “If we do it right and we do it right the first time, we might be able to save it.”

While saving the theater would be ideal, Mayor Cory Mason said, it does not seem to be in the cards right now. “I applaud the sentiment of the folks from West Racine who would like to see this building saved,” Mason said. “I’d like to be in a place where it could be saved, too. … It is an unfortunate outcome that we would like to prevent from recurring moving forward. The Park Theatre is just the latest example of demolition through neglect by an irresponsible landlord who’s let it get to this point. I would love to see the theater saved, too, but I can’t ignore what Ken (Plaski) has found there in terms of the structural integrity of the building — or the lack thereof — that would jeopardize health and safety.”

The topic of saving the theater will be brought up at the West Racine Alliance’s neighborhood meeting 6 p.m. Thursday at Wilson Funeral Home, 1212 Lathrop Ave., Simonson said. she plans to start a fundraiser by the end of the week with the goal of raising $2 million. By the time the group could raise that money, it may be too late. The demolition order is currently on hold after Apple filed for a temporary restraining order against the city. His lawyer, Peter Ludwig, erroneously filed the suit against the Village of Wind Point in August after the deadline, and Racine successfully argued the case was improperly filed, resulting in a dismissal. Apple appealed the dismissal in October and the case is still in appellate court waiting on a decision. The city is expecting a decision in April; if the case is again dismissed, Plaski said he expects demolition to begin in June. If Simonson’s group acquires the building and brings it up to regulation before the case gets out of court, the city may have further discussion with the group, City Administrator Jim Palenick said. “We wouldn’t have the conversation until that occurred,” Palenick said.

On August 28, 2017 the city issued a list of 24 repairs and inspections that needed to be done for the building to be habitable again. Apple did not fulfill any of the orders, Plaski said. In a phone call with The Journal Times, Apple claimed that he never received the list, the building is in fine shape and he “did a lot of” repairs. He also denied the city’s report that there was a pipe backup that filled the basement with 5 inches of raw sewage, claiming it was just water from a toilet overflow. “These people have their head up their (expletive), as far as that goes,” Apple said.

Apple declined to let a Journal Times reporter see the condition of the theater’s interior. Court records show that Apple was ordered not to let anyone in the building besides his son and himself, and is not allowed to put anything more into storage in the building. He paid $130,000 for the building in 2006. When asked twice what he would be willing to sell it for, Apple did not give a price and instead said he would like to stay involved with the building in some way. He added that he hopes the building does get saved. “I like old buildings. I like old houses, antiques. I like saving things,” Apple said. “I would hate to see it get torn down. It’s a solid building.” But city officials said Apple was wholly neglectful of the property, not reverential as he painted himself to be. “That would be like saying, ‘I bought this dog and decided not to feed it for three weeks because I love dogs,’” Palenick said. “Really? Come on.” Plaski said the theater stuck out as one of the worst buildings he has inspected and condemned. The exterior walls have not been maintained and the steel roof structure is compromised — and the whole building could have collapsed from a heavy load if winter had produced a massive snowfall, he said. “I didn’t feel safe being in there,” Plaski said.