McDonald’s Interested in Detroit Theatre Property?
Fast food giant eyeing a move from its Sloane Avenue location to better traffic on Detroit Avenue.
The Golden Arches of McDonald’s could be coming soon to Detroit Avenue.
According to sources, the fast food giant is eyeing several locations on Detroit Avenue — including the property where the Detroit Theatre was housed until it closed in January.
Dru Siley, Lakewood’s assistant director of planning and development, said the city was contacted by the company, which is looking to move from its Sloane Avenue location to somewhere on Detroit Avenue.
Talks are only in the preliminary stages, he said.
“The only reason that site came up is because that site’s for sale,” Siley said, adding that he is aware of the theater’s sentimental value in the community. “The challenge is always repurposing a theater like that.”
The McDonald’s on Sloane Avenue opened in the 1960s, when the thoroughfare was more widely traveled. “Decades ago, (that location) sure did make sense,” Siley added.
McDonald’s officials did not return several calls seeking comment for this story.
An employee at the Sloane Avenue location, who asked not to be identified, said that the rumor isn’t true, but referred further comments to company officials.
It isn’t clear which other properties the company is interested in.
The vacant theater and the property it sits on — at 16409 Detroit Avenue — are on the market for $695,000.
With declining attendance in an industry that has struggled to remain financially viable, the Detroit Theatre closed its doors earlier this year after 87 years.
Julie Warren, the co-owner of Erie Design, which is also housed in the building, said if the property is sold, her sign and banner business would need to find a new home.
Erie Design has been at its current location since it opened in 1999.
“Everybody kind of dreams about making it a theater, but people who are interested in theaters just don’t have that kind of money — like McDonald's does,” said Warren. “I would rather see someone come in and restore this cool old theater. I just don’t see that happening.”
She said she has already begun “prospecting a little bit” for a new location.
“Our future is uncertain, but we’re trying to look at the move as an upgrade” Warren said. “We’ve been looking around, but we’re not going to jump ship too quickly.”
Siley said the city expects to know more in the coming weeks.
“I am reserving judgment until I hear more about where they decide they where to go,” he said.
In This article
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McDonald's
1430 W 117th St, Lakewood, OH -
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Erie Design
16413 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH
kathy Curran
9:34 am on Monday, April 18, 2011
Since this would directly impact the street I live on; i am opposed to the idea of Mcdonald's moving to the Detroit theater space. We already have enough challenges on Wagar Avenue due to the bar patrons!!!
BrennaMC
9:46 am on Monday, April 18, 2011
NO NO NO.
First, a theatre should stay a theatre. Detroit Theatre has offered free movies and much support to Trinity Lutheran across the street for years. It was sad to see them go.
There are already two excellent restaurants on this corner: 56 West and Cozumel. There are also three faster food options: Mr. Hero, Hungry Howie's Pizza and Hot Spot. Why McDonald's would want this property when there are already stores on both W. 117th and Sloane Ave. is beyond me.
Isn't there anyone with some capital who wants to take a chance on a fun little movie house? Imagine the opportunities for dinner and a movie nights? Tear out the seats and put in cabaret tables. The possibilities are endless...
Tricia
11:04 pm on Saturday, April 23, 2011
I live on Woodward and had this exact conversation with a neighbor tonight. NO Mcdonalds. Period
Alan R.
10:33 am on Monday, April 18, 2011
It would be an improvement over the one on Sloane or the worst McDonald's in NE OH - the one on 117th.
kathy Curran
10:39 am on Monday, April 18, 2011
I have to disagree! I can't see how a McDonalds between Woodward and Wagar Avenues would improve the area at all!!!
BrennaMC
10:49 am on Monday, April 18, 2011
It's true...that Sloane location is a little dumpy and probably receives little traffic compared to Detroit Ave. However, a McDonalds would be better suited to the Lakewood City Center or even the southwest corner of Detroit and Bunts (the old Rego's which has sat vacant for a while now). These are more heavy retail/business districts that would more easily suit a McDonalds. It's hard enough to park in the Woodward/Westlake/Hall zone as it is.
Barb Mattis
8:05 pm on Monday, April 18, 2011
I think this is a horrible location! If McDonalds were to be on Detroit, I think a better location would be towards Bunts...
Jana Christian
7:54 am on Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Could we not find a local business for this location (which I agree should stay a theater - the youth in our city need local, walkable activities)?
Lakewoodite
8:14 am on Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Lakewood with its many families with small shildren could use a new McDonald's with a playland! I have seen many other Lakewood families at the Rocky River McD's that has a playland.
If a McDonald's is built and they include a playland their sales will skyrocket!
Paul Grimm
10:15 am on Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A Playland would be great. My nieces and nephews would love it!
RealtorMomof4
1:08 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A new playland McDonald's with plenty of parking but also in a more central Lakewood location would be great!
It would be great for Lakewood to have a child friendly place for people to go to meet friends and their children for lunch!
Paul Grimm
11:31 am on Thursday, April 21, 2011
Kids love birthday parties at McDonalds. I see them all the time at the one in Rocky River.
Bryan
2:28 pm on Saturday, April 30, 2011
Not so sure the best thing to do is encourage our children (or anyone for that matter) that fast food is fun or positive.
BrennaMC
9:11 am on Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Lakewoodite does have a point. Many of my friends who are nannies or young moms use the Rocky River McDonald's Playland.
The Detroit/Bunts Location would be ideal, as it is walking distance from many schools and parks.
As for Detroit Theatre, I'd buy it myself if I had the capital. This is a fantastic location and could be used not just for films, but for arts programming, community and youth events and much more. Trinity Lakewood Community Outreach is working just footsteps away to provide this type of programming and could do so much more by annexing this space.
Anybody local who wants to loan/grant the $695,000, or even the down payment? I know that's a lot of scratch to just have sitting around, but imagine the good it could do.
Lakewoodite
2:06 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The city should try to put a McDonald's or other economical kid friendly restaurant with a playland on the vacant Spitzer property.
http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/articles/lakewood-accepting-proposals-for-vacant-spitzer-property
Why is it that people in the city that is the best place to raise your kids don't have any playland type places ?
My children have been invited to birthday parties by their Lakewood friends to the Rocky Rocky River, Westlake and other Mcdonald's that have playlands but never to the dumpy Lakewood locations.
RealtorMomof4
1:01 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011
They are asking way too much for the closed Detroit Theatre, especially when the closed theater on Madison has been vacant for years! Any buyer would likely need to also factor in having money to renovate the place and do a lot of maintenance that needs to be done . It would be great to keep the Detroit as a theater but don't over pay the people that closed it down.
christine hofer
9:07 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011
I lived in lakewood for most of my live till i moved to florida, and was sadend when I heard that the Thearter was closing, I spent many wekends going to the movie and it was so enjoable. Someone should buy it and resore it, its part of history why put Mcdonalds there . there are so many fast food stores going down detroit.
Laura
11:54 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Ugh. This would be horrible for the neighborhood.
If it goes anywhere (and WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE--TOO MANY OBESE KIDS ALREADY), it should go where all the other fast food restaurants are concentrated--near Detroit and Warren Road. Forget the Playland--take your grandkids to Edwards Park, which is right across the street.
Tricia
11:07 pm on Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thanks Laura...kids need to get out and use our beautiful parks! That's what Lakewood is all about.
Richard
9:04 am on Thursday, April 21, 2011
Richard
I realize getting a theater related business in the site would be difficult if not impossible, but there must be an allternative to Mcdonalds. We need something that would contribute to the city, either in terms of worthwhile jobs or an attraction that will turn that area of Detroit into a destination for people in the greater Cleveland area.
Average Joe and Josey
12:52 pm on Thursday, April 21, 2011
We have lived in Lakewood for the past 34 years, and raised three children in this wonderful and diverse community. We cannot say enough good things about the schools, unique shops, library system, and walkable neighborhoods in our area. We are so close to area parks (including the lake) and also the Metroparks for recreation. We were sad that the Detroit Theater closed, and hope that someone will see the opportunity to reopen it as a theatre/arts center that we can all support. Look what a great place the Cedar Lee theatre is. Lets not let another chain fast food restaurant open on Detroit in that area and change the way our city looks and feels. We have unique restaurants and shops in that area. We oppose McDonalds in that site.
Average Joe and Josey
my opinion
1:25 am on Saturday, April 23, 2011
The LAST thing this city needs is a McDonalds. I have seen Lakewood suffer under urban decay for the past few years, a once vibrant, ecclectic destination town has been destroyed by dollar stores, Aldi's, and section 8. Lakewoods' east end already looks like a dump/ghetto, why encourage the plauge of riff-raff with more "low-rent" attractions?
Paul Grimm
11:53 am on Tuesday, May 3, 2011
If done right, McDonald's could make the new store 'fancy', not 'low-rent'. There's an old theatre in Rocky River on Detroit that was turned into a restaurant, maybe it could be like that.
Alex Vandehoff
8:57 am on Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Paul, let me get this straight. You are comparing the Pub -a unique sit-down, British themed restaurant that has good food and a wide variety of beer you can't find on tap in many other places, and that only has a few locations nationally - and McDonald's - the king of fast food chains with thousands of stores, and cheap, mass-produced, chemical containing food that caters specifically to the lowest common denominator?
A 'fancy' McDonald's? What's next, a 'fancy' Wal-Mart?
Nothing worse than drive-by opinions. And literally in this case, as Paul has certainly never been inside 'that restaurant in the old theater in Rocky River."
Let's encourage local (or at least regional) business and try to maintain that uniqueness that makes Lakewood different and more exciting than some of our neighboring cities.
Paul Grimm
8:12 pm on Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Greg, just saying that they could make it nice. Even Mayor Summers said so in an article on the Lakewood Observation. He said McDonalds does a lot of research and the fact that they choose a certain location indicates that it's a good place to do business. What's so bad about that? And 2 other things I HAVE been inside the Pub in River, it is very nice and there isn't a spot big enough in Lakewood to build a fancy Walmart - even the old Giant Eagle and Spitzer is too small. Not a bad idea though.