SLIDESHOW: The Detroit Theatre in Ruins

Construction of a new McDonald's expected to begin soon.

Detroit Theatre: Stage Right, Nothing Left

The 88-year-old theatre is reduced to a large pile of rubble, to make way for the Golden Arches of McDonald's.

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VIDEO: Demolition of the Detroit Theatre Wraps Up

Nothing expected to remain of the building by this afternoon.

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Rob Uton

5:32 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012

A water meter is hooked up at the hydrant, and the city bills the demolition contractor (who in turn bills the owner of the property) for the amount of water used. At least that's how it's done in a typical demolition.   more ›

Curtains Closing Quickly on the Detroit Theatre

Another layer of the Detroit Theatre has been removed; the building is more than halfway demolished — the site is the future home of McDonald's.

Intermission: The Detroit Theatre Demolition Halfway Completed

Good weather has allowed the demolition crew to move quickly with the task of demolishing the Detroit Theatre. As of Friday afternoon, about half of the building has been taken down.

VIDEO: Demolition Continues at the Detroit Theatre

The seats got plucked from the 88-year-old theater on Wednesday, as the process to raze the structure continued.

The seats were removed and demoltion continued at the site of the former Detroit Theatre on Wednesday. On Monday, a portion of the rear of the building was razed but the process was slowed by the removal of utility lines. The theater will be demolished to make way for a new McDonald's at the site. For complete coverage, visit our topic page.

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Community Remembers, Says Goodbye to the Detroit Theatre

Share your memories with us in the comments!

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Snapshot: Detroit Theatre on Wheels

Demolition begins at the site of the Detroit Theatre to make way for a McDonald's.

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Judith Szentkiralyi

11:32 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012

It does say Around the Corner, but I recently saw it on the porch of a home on Riverside Dr. (the north corner of Riverside & Franklin)... maybe a different arrangement was made...!?   more ›

Yelling ‘Fire’ in a Movie Theater... the Detroit Theatre

Firefighters get in a couple of training exercises at the Detroit Theatre as demolition crews get ready to tear the structure down to make way for McDonald’s.

If someone screamed fire in the Detroit Theatre on Thursday, that would have been just fine. There were plenty of firefighters around.  As demolition crews prepare to take down the 90-year-old theater to make way for the Golden Arches of McDonald’s, the Lakewood Fire Department was on hand to get some practice. Firefighters practiced a few drills in the vacated structure — as well as on top of the building. “That building served the community for many years, and it’s serving the community one last time, by helping to train firefighters," said Lakewood Fire Chief Scott Gilman. "They’re getting skills that they’ll use for years to come. It’s beneficial to everybody.” Gilman said that some of the interior demolition has already begun, which …

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