This is the old downtown theater. It had been shuttered for some time. A couple of years ago, it was purchased and renovated by some folks who wanted to make it a venue for movies as well as other dramatic presentations. That was unsuccessful, and now it sits vacant once more.
20 comments:
What a shame. A real tribute to what, the fifties? Or the forties maybe? Why do you think it was unsuccessful?
Cieldequimper - Yes, it is a shame...probably goes back to the '40s. Like so many smaller towns in the States, the downtowns were abandoned as people moved to suburban areas where a variety of stores were built to service their needs - malls, Walmarts, etc.
Ocala has made an attempt to renovate the downtown with some success. We're hoping that this theater can be made viable again.
Thanks for stopping by!
Unfortunately, it will probably sit vacant for some time.
i like these old theaters. The marquee looks great and it is so inviting and nostalgic. It is a shame that most of these old style theaters did not survive.
I agree, Julie. This is a very nice building and from the photos I've seen of the inside, it is quite attractive. Part of the problem is its location--in the old downtown, and parking--there isn't much nearby.
Well... what about walking then? ;-)
This is a beauty of a theatre. It's sad to hear that it now sits vacant and that the renovation attempt failed.
CQ - Unfortunately, public transportation in Ocala is almost non-existent. To get somewhere you have to drive...furthermore, this is probably not a part of town you'd want to walk around at night.
That's the sad truth.
Yes, it's a shame, but places like this only survive if they are big enough to be divided in several rooms, at least this is what happens around here... or, prior to this crisis, a bank, an insurance company or a fast food restaurant would replace the movies and decharacterize the building...
This place is so vintage, I really hope someone will take over this wonderful building... and keep the marquee!
Interesting and nostalgic :-)
What a beautiful old theatre! It's sad to see it closed and unused.
We had a very similar looking theater called the Lyric Theater in the small town where I grew up. Things like this should really be preserved as historic - you can't get more Americana than this!
Pretty Ancient!
A place like this is considered historical and need to be saved from complete destruction!
colorful
And with the current economy it's bound to stay empty for yet a while, I guess.
The place has come to its time...what's good with it is, it has been preserved and still looks neat.
What a shame! Suck a beautiful venue! We had an old theater tht was vacant here in Levittown (not as beautiful as this, just an old theater, probably built in the 70's), and I always thought it would be fun to purchase it and show old films there. Unfortunately, they knocked it down to make room for a retirement facility, which probably would have been the perfect audience for my idea.
It's really sad it didn't work out..
The old movie theaters had so much charm.
I like your daily photo blog. I found an interesting blog site called Cinema Treasures that lists thousands of theaters that people are discovering preserving and protecting. Marion Theatre is listed and there and there is a conversation going on that you may be interested in : http://cinematreasures.org/theater/5718/
Marion Theatre was opened on September 11, 1941.
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