The old Boulevard Theater in Downtown Salisbury is coming down and the construction started this evening.
I spoke with the current owner David Moore on location and asked him what his plans were for the site. He said he wanted to get the building torn down and recycle all of the material, grade the land and hopefully put it back on the market for sale.
This is certainly a prime location for any kind of business as it has such great visibility on Rt. 13. I could see a Rite Aid, man, you name it, it would do well there.
The final construction will start, (they say) at 5:00 AM tomorrow morning but I kind of doubt they'll be able to get started that early. I'd expect to see crews out there that early as they need to block off one lane south bound on Rt. 13, one lane of Main Street and perhaps the road behind the building. It shouldn't be much of a problem maneuvering around this square block area but it will be quite interesting to see what it looks like tomorrow afternoon.
Anyhow, these might be some of the last photos you'll see of this building standing. Many have stated how sad it is that Mr. Moore couldn't rebuild the old Theater but the place was caving in, floors were crumbling beneath you and I'm told the roof was even caving in. It couldn't be saved and I blame that on that Arts Group that had it in their possession for all those years and did NOTHING with the money they had raised to at least keep the building maintained.
I'll tell you one thing, that group better never come to me asking for any money because I'll never trust a word they say. First they got the building donated to them for nothing. Then they raised hundreds of thousands of dollars promising they'd rebuild the building and then they sold it for a couple hundred thousand dollars, (or so) and walked away with all that money. Nope, they'll not ever see a penny from me.
Well, you know what they say. "Take a picture, it will last longer."
sad...I can remember when I was about seven or eight and saw "Herbie Rides Again"....when we came outside after the movie, Bob Lawrence had a Herbie look alike parked out front....great memories of my first date there too....
ReplyDeleteWalked away? More like p****d it away.
ReplyDeleteI can beat everyone! I saw the very first movie the theater had, but heck I forgot the name, "The Yearling" ????? It was a "state of the art" theater. Sure beat the rat infested one by the river where the library is now!!! Signed ole person
ReplyDeleteI saw the same movie there. Star wars too..... Man that sucks but what did we expect? The place has been closed for how long?
ReplyDeletei remember seeing Bambi, The never ending story, swing kids... omg i'm so sad right now...
ReplyDeleteSound of Music with my sister and grandmother is one of my favorite memories from there
ReplyDeleteYep. Just what Salisbury needs. Another Rite Aid.
ReplyDeleteanon 9:27
ReplyDeleteYour memory fails you. Where the library stands now was once the NG Armory and the theater, named Wicomico Theater, was across the street next to the river. Lewis Confectionary was between the armory and the theater. And just to keep the record clean the Wicomico never became "rat infested" until after the named was changed to "The Rio" and the quality of movies and shows fell to the "C" class catering to B movies and porn.
If you can't remember the Wicomico running first rate movies, than you so ole as you think you are.
JPH
I've only lived here for a few years, but I recall coming to SBY for shopping or whatever, and seeing people on the sidewalk, waiting for the movie to open. Then, for the last several years, all I've seen is deterioration. Sad story for a building with so much local history and so many memories.
ReplyDeleteI only hope that whatever goes on that lot is either significant enough to be noteworthy from the main intersection, or innocuous enough to NOT be noticed.
i remember seeing the movie 'tommy' with roger daltry and also thr posiden adventure when i was 12 or 13 years old. lotta good old memories there
ReplyDeleteI agree with 10:51---another rite-aid? Just like Chicken Man: They're everywhere! They're everywhere! Not the gas stations, the Chicken Man on WKBW)
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember the Ulman Theater on Main Street?
The 2 slot next to the theater on the corner is not David Moores. The Taylors own it. So if anything is going to happen to that space then someone will have to buy the 2 lots also. Good luck doing that! Mr. Taylor and the city don't like each other. Way back the city screwed the Taylors (wow, who would of thunk it). Thats why the transit building is still there and no improvements. They also own the parking lot behind the theater. So thats 3 lots....
ReplyDeleteMaybe this will be the spark that downtown needs to get kick started again.
ReplyDeleteIt done well for many years as a theater because movies played after hours and weekends so parking was seldom an issue. Lack of parking will cause a lack of business, just like most hard to get to and park corner lots. Regal has a monopoly on films/movies. There should be a law against "cluster rite aids"
ReplyDeleteI gotta agree Joe. The theatre was given to them and they could not get together on a plan and put it in place. Oh well just another example of the metality around here. Guess I will just have to head to Easton AGAIN to see a show. Oh, not a Rite Aid but something for a decent draw.
ReplyDeleteWhy dont they just plant some veggies and flowers there and call it done.
ReplyDeleteJoe...I have to say I love reading your informative news on here about current issues...and about things like this...old neighborhood icons that I remember from my childhood here. Then I read on to hear of the louses that walked away from money...took advantage of our community...and I think to myself "I may be from here...but if this keeps up...I'm going to be a "leave here" because it makes me sick! Thanks for always keeping us informed.
ReplyDeleteand now the arts council wants the city to give them the old fire house.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is I went to those Saturday cartoon matinees {Bugs, Daffy, Wile E. et al.} back when it was a building that could have been saved. the party was in the balcony. The end result was negligence...pure and simple negligence. See that is the funny thing-these "arts" people want expensive new backdrops for their "art" but can't even keep the property they get donated to them SAFE and HABITABLE {how much mold was in that building?}. Refer to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
ReplyDeleteLet the "arts" people fashion a new driftwood amphitheater for their unattended gatherings-donate some property/lots for the skate kids/adults for a change..or, god forbid, turn it into a good irish pub with affordable pints and bangin' fish and chips. What a waste.
Somebody please build something there to bring people downtown ie: small music venue, crab house, micro brewery, wine bar etc. etc. etc. Please, no more office buildings!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think we call agree...no more drug stores OR office buildings! As for the firehouse, if they start talking about tearing it down, I don't normally get involved on protest, but I think it would call for a sit-in!! Protest!! Some sort of action from us.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the Marva in Pocomoke City was restored and now operational in its original condition speaks numbers to the lost potential of the Boulevard. Not to mention how much smaller the community that pulled it off in Pocomoke is.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to keep check on the crooked attorney David Moore who "knows" the right people. Why would he not have to pay all the filing fees and other incurred costs of owning and renting his luxury condo apartments when everyone else has to?
ReplyDelete