Grand Theatre
22 Washington Avenue,
Grand Haven,
MI
49417
22 Washington Avenue,
Grand Haven,
MI
49417
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: W.S. Butterfield Theaters Inc.
Architects: Charles Howard Crane
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The Grand Theatre opened in 1928, located on Washington Avenue, built at a cost of $175,000. The theatre was operated by Butterfield Theaters by 1941. It was acquired in the late-1960’s by Jack Loeks Theaters, and remodeled a few years later. Loeks sold the Grand Theatre in 1996, and it was independently operated for another three years before it closed for good.
Plans, including conversion into a performing arts center, came and went for the Grand Theatre until recently, when it was decided to demolish the former theater (except for the lobby, facade and marquee) and replace it with condominiums and a restaurant in the former lobby space.
The Grand Theatre was razed in January, 2005 and the new construction was completed in early-2006.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Seems like a perfectly good theater demolished. Such a shame!
Here is a photo:
http://tinyurl.com/kj4yc
Here is another marquee photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y6hycwq
A document listing historic buildings in Grand Haven (very large pdf file) says that the Grand Theatre opened on January 23, 1928.
Initially operated under lease by the Butterfield circuit, it was transferred to Schlossman Theatres, who operated the house until 1961 when it returned to Butterfield control. It became part of the Jack Loeks circuit in 1966, then was taken by a local independent operator from 1996 until closing in 1999. Originally seating over 800, the capacity was reduced to 520 in 1971, at which time the balcony was closed.
Lisa Maria DiChiera’s paper The Theater Designs of C. Howard Crane lists the Grand as his project #1015.
In my previous comment I left out the year when Butterfield transferred the Grand to Schlossman Theatres. It was 1931, so Butterfield operated the house about three years, then Schlossman for thirty years, then Butterfield for another five years, then Loeks operated it for about thirty years.