The old Hillard Theater property

[jackie f taylor]

Driving by, I thought, I hope there will be some salvage of some of the fixtures, architectural elements, original front doors, the fire escape, I'f like to have that for my property. Who would I contact to inquire?





http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/downl ... ew&id=3731
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/downl ... ew&id=3730
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/downl ... ew&id=3729

[jackie f taylor]

well to be more precise, I'd like the roof top ladder, not the fire escape.

[Dan Alaimo]

The theater owner (or perhaps former owner by now) is Bob Dobush.
I don't see him listed as a current member, but he has posted here in the past as Robert Dobush.
Good luck.

[jackie f taylor]

Thank you Dan for the info, I'll see if I can find him.

[Stan Austin]

jackie--- I've walked by that building every day since Junior High. It was a gem. I can only hope that when final demo occurs that the contracting company will have hard hat buyer tours in order to salvage those gems you have identified.
Stan

[jackie f taylor]

I'd like to go there after midnight and quietly remove some treasures before they go to land fills. There was a beautiful old apartment building where the new Drug Mart parking lot is now. It was already vacant when I first saw it, I peered into the kitchen window of one apartment. There was a beautiful old vintage porcelain kitchen sink, with a dish drain counter, priceless, there must have been one in each of the 8 suites, not to mention the old oak woodwork the built in china cabinet's, the doors, the glass doorknobs, the 1925 bathroom sinks, tubs, gone forever.

Lakewood needs an advisory restoration committee, made up of volunteers, residents who have a vested interest in what goes down in their neighborhoods. The citizens could operate a resale shop of architectural fixtures and items for sale, wood work, doors, sinks, old oak floors, that old wavy bubbled glass, it would support itself. I just hate to see all that useful, classic, almost a hundred years old stuff, go to waste. I have an old building in Fairview Park, one of the storefront doors, has glass, original 1925, one is cracked, I want to replace it with the same old glass, that tereater has two doors that would fit.

[jackie f taylor]

Theater, spelling app broke.

[jackie f taylor]

Bob, for some reason, I can't locate you message or your e-mail address, please forward to me again, thank you. Jack jft6995@att.net

[jackie f taylor]

I see fencing around the property, is that gem about to fall? Is there any chance of salvaging some of the artifacts from within before the end? Storefront plate glass, the original entry doors, and those cool mail slots, are there any old porcelain "address numerals" left, roof top ladders? Men & women rest room plaques, ( they wont make anymore of those ), exit signs, managers office? They used to number each and every theater seat, I can see those signs adorning an entire wall in some classic vintage eatery or coffee shop. Brass mail boxes for the residents, apartment numbers on the doors, how about the apartment doors, I'm sure there oak, or the old porcelain kitchen sinks with back splashes? Let me also mention, the stone architectural features about the exterior of the building, priceless. Mr. Dobush, Bob?

[jackie f taylor]

bob, Can I at least go thru thur apartments, I will gladly help you out, $$$ thanks jack

[jackie f taylor]

Talk about a waste, why didn't someone get a permit to carefully dismantle small insignificant relics, not relating to the structure of the building, just small little things that would make no difference, salvage as many of those artifacts as possible. Some, I could just stand there with a hammer & chisel to remove them. or a step ladder. I guess condemned, it wouldn't be easy, but it's not like your going on the roof, or inside, just standing and chipping away, outside, was it not aloud, no one ask? had I known the plans, I would have stolen them in the darkness of night. For Bob, if nothing else. He should have gotten more than a bill for demolition.

Now I'm thinking, what if the exterior walls, the façade, the first floor doors & windows were made safe, secure, and structurally sound, remove the roof completely, no hazard, nothing to fall, just what the weather would bring, let mother nature do it's job, it would be a tourist attraction, Lakewood's Pom Pae, have tours, like the ruins of Mt Vesuvius, seats, rotting away, the walls dripping with tears, the balcony, abandoned years ago. the ticket booth with pigeons making it their home. $10.00 dollars for adults, $5.00 for teens, children and seniors free, after all, we paid years ago, and the babies will pay later. It would be a guided narrated tour, the guide telling it's history, who owned it, how it came to this, who was in charge in the government? It would be safe, roped off with those metal stands with fat red velvet rope, like they have in the banks, directing the path, bring your camera's.

The adjoining storefronts on Madison Avenue, fully restored, Campbell's Sweets, popcorn, chocolates, a restaurant, burgers, kid friendly, a gift shop, selling memorabilia, tee shirts, post cards, the apartments upstairs, completely renovated, fashionable flats, boy can I dream, Get rid of the roof! Cleveland Municipal Stadium, doesn't have a roof. ...

[jackie f taylor]

Truly, " The Phantom of the Opera" . I thing that is a better idea than what has occurred. Sorry Bob, I didn't think of this sooner.

[jackie f taylor]

Look how long ago I wrote this, now it's all but over.

[jackie f taylor]

I ask Bob, if I could purchase a roof top ladder, back in September of 2016, to keep me safe while climbing up on my roof, he pondered the thought, but nothing came to be. Now it's all gone, enough said about this topic, I'm done, will not mention it again.

[Lori Allen _]

Jackie,

I believe it was Summer's and Extended Company's plan to just let this historic building rot so that they could call in their demo friends. Wow! A parking lot? A vape lounge? A burner cell phone store? World of bars?

Summer's and Company have no talent. I believe they must have gotten their licenses as a prize in a cracker jack box. Otherwise, they would have come up with some economic ideas to benefit the citizens of Lakewood, like a hospital with a real emergency room and not a band-aid clinic.