Cinema Art
208-210 N. Main Street,
Mishawaka,
IN
46554
208-210 N. Main Street,
Mishawaka,
IN
46554
3 people
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Showing 26 - 43 of 43 comments
Bryan: Not the cinema news that I wanted to read first thing this a.m.! I recall being in the City of Mishawawka, Indiana several summers ago while visiting Notre Dame and other local sights and since I wasn’t ‘into old theatres’ then I completely missed seeing this theatre that is only a memory now! :–((
Ok, sorry, I didn’t read all of the comments, because the National Register is different from Winnipeg’s system. Otherwise, if its listed, it has to be restored (to a reasonable rate- like, brand new rocker seats could be put in a theatre).
When they torn down our Capitol Theatre, they saved a bunch of the architecture to put on display. It would’ve been nice if that grand window could have been saved.
I think its just great how there’s a list to preserve historic theatres, and with one simple vote, it can just be de-listed and torn down. (SARCASM, just in case you thought I was serious).
The same thing happened to a theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, called the Capitol Theatre.
The Tivoli theater has been demolished in October I think.
I first heard about this yesterday in an Alert from the National Trust for Historical Preservation. Here is the letter I sent via their Web Responder: (at View link )
Mayor Rea,
How sad it is to compare the Tivoli, and by extension, Mishiwaka, to other vibrant restored theaters and downtowns.
Compare Tivoil: /theaters/1795/
To Spokane WA’s FOX: /theaters/862
View link
View link
http://www.kxly.com/common/getStory.asp?id=31126
I lived in Spokane during the Fundraisers and transition period. I went to the Fox when it was a “dollar” theater. I lived 2 blocks away, downtown, and did everythiing in my power to ensure that it was restored.
The simple act of changing it from a “dollar” tri-plex theater to a Performing Arts/ Symphony venue increased property values (and rents) in that entire neighborhood. Seedy bars became nice “clubs” or they failed.
The whole area began to benefit from the moment the “Eye” of the community was turned on saving the FOX.
How tragic that you are proposing destroying a similar Registered Historic Building rather than promoting its restoration as a Mishawaka Destination.
The Spokane FOX Theater experience, while not without its trials, has been an instrumental part of an overall plan of Urban Revival in what had become a rather seedy part of town. Because of the Vision of Citizens and a few strong Leaders, Spokane was able to preserve more of its history while providing a medium – sized venue for Performing Arts.
The kind of Political Capital and Tourist Appeal such restorations provide cannot be understated – not to mention the potential for State funding.
http://www.kpbx.org/news/April03/foxproj.htm
View link
Historic theatres are such an important part of Indiana’s architectural heritage and, as one of the state’s oldest movie palaces, the Tivoli is one of our most valuable theatres.
An active theatre is a critical component of an economically and culturally vibrant downtown by generating traffic for nearby businesses and attracting new residents to the district. Many main street movie palaces throughout the country are being converted to performing arts facilities for their communities. I encourage you to look at some of these examples and, rather than demolishing the Tivoli, use it as the centerpiece for downtown revitalization.
Please visit the FOX Theater web links provided for ideas on how, and why, to save the Tivoli.
Sincerely,
Bryan Potratz
(Michigan City)
Mishawaka politicians voted to destroy this theater this past Monday 10/25/04. This theater will die shortly. Those (edited for content).
The Washington Theater in Quincy, Illinois is a near mirror-image twin to the Tivoli, designed by the same architect E.P. Rupert. The website for the Washington is www.washingtoncentral.org
Things are looking up; from today’s South Bend Tribune:
Research to determine feasibility of restoring historic structure.
MISHAWAKA — What’s the best way to determine if a 79-year-old theater is worth saving?
Is it by the condition of the building, and the significance of its architecture? The number of people who hope to use it as a venue for their art? Or simply the value the theater could have as a part of the community?
To Paul Siemborski and Martin Vinik, answering that question is all in a day’s work — a day’s work that saw them conducting a whirlwind study of the old Tivoli Theater in downtown Mishawaka this week. Their efforts were part of a last-ditch drive to turn the showhouse into a centerpiece of the rebirth of city’s central business district.
“We’ve worked on more than 100 historic theater projects,” Siemborski said. “This is what we specialize in.”
Siemborski is a representative of Cleveland, Ohio-based Westlake, Reed and Leskosky. The consulting firm was hired by a joint effort of the Mishawaka Coalition to Save the Tivoli and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to determine if it is feasible to restore the Tivoli — a 1920s-era movie and stage theater at 208 N. Main St.
The future of the building has been in question since February, when Mishawaka Mayor Jeffrey Rea, citing multiple failed attempts to save the dilapidated building, announced plans to demolish the structure to pave way for new development.
The announcement has galvanized a group of preservationists, performers and other supporters to seek another opportunity to save the building in hopes of using it as an entertainment venue.
They have succeeded in temporarily halting plans to tear down the theater. The group also has raised enough money, thanks in part to a $10,000 DNR contribution, to pay for a detailed study of the contribution a restored Tivoli could make to the community — and whether or not it is financially feasible to save it.
And that’s why Siemborski and Martin Vinik, a New York-based arts planning consultant, spent a day and a half doing such tasks as taking detailed measurements of the building and conducting lengthy interviews with potential users.
Susan Baxter, who is chairman of the Mishawaka Coalition to Save the Tivoli, said she was amazed by the zeal and productivity of the men.
“It’s been absolutely exhausting,” she said with a laugh. “They are right to the point and extremely on task.
‘The breadth of experience they have is absolutely amazing,“ Baxter said. "And the passion … I thought I was passionate about saving this old gal.”
But what does that experience tell Siemborski and Vinik about hope for the Tivoli? Although they still faced the task of compiling the information they collected into a final report, both men were enthused — and optimistic — about the chances of bringing the Tivoli back from the brink.
“I think (supporters) have a very clear idea of the direction they want to go in, and that is extremely important,” Siemborski said.
Vinik, even after a long day of interviews with potential Tivoli users, also was optimistic.
“I absolutely love the building,” he said. “And there’s not a lot of things that can bring people downtown, and bring them downtown with money to spend, like a theater.
“Do I think this project is feasible? Yes, I do,” Vinik continued. “Actually, I am even more optimistic than I was before I got here.”
Baxter said the report generated by the study likely will be presented to members of Mishawaka Common Council, who will decide whether to uphold a vote by members of the Mishawaka Historic Preservation Commission granting temporary protection to the building.
Without the protection, demolition of the Tivoli could begin as early as this summer.
Staff writer Adam Jackson
…I had a chance to be there, too, but I got stuck in Michigan City. Rats!!! -Bill
I freely admit that I’m still learning about all this and your info is a big help. I simply hope that someone with an interest in old theatres will take on the project and save the Tivoli. Check out what someone did with the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, IN years ago when they were going to tear it down…she had the bucks and saved it. Have a good one.
Bill of South Bend is among the many who do not understand that listing on the National Register of Historic Places does NOT prevent demolition of a structure, but merely puts up impediments to ALTERING the EXTERIOR of a building. The owner may still demolish, and alter the INTERIOR in any way that the local codes allow. The National Register was intended to merely point out to those wishing to designate a priority for local and state preservation funds, a way to identify the most deserving. No American laws prevent an owner from ultimately doing with his property as he wishes within local zoning laws and building codes, for to do other than this would be to seize private property without due compensation under due process of law, something forbidden by the US constitution. I am all for saving any venue of value, as opposed to crating more parking lots or the like, but one must remember that it is someone else’s property, and unless we are willing to buy it (assuming it is actually for sale), we cannot expect to dictate how such private property is used, as long as that use is within law. Some municipalities have put enormous burdens upon private property owners in order to stop demolition of a site by misusing Eminent Domain statues to seize or restrict the owner of the property, but such moves have always been ultimately overturned by the courts after expensive litigation by the owners. Yes, greedy developers who will demolish anything for a quick buck and the conniving politicians who serve them cause all of us to groan in disgust, but America is based upon free enterprise, where sometimes it is the enterprise of those with the most political clout who prevail. Still, IF there is real financial interest willing to purchase a site, often the owners will listen to enough money! So, if we cannot put our money where our mouth is, we cannot unduly criticize the owners who must pay taxes and upkeep on a property that is not making them much. Remember, landlords are not philanthropists or preservationists, but businessmen who must make a profit or perish, just as any other business. The Europeans willingly spend tax dollars to save their landmarks, but that is not the pattern in this country where money is GOD and KING.
MAJORLY GOOD NEWS:
Tivoli Theater gets a reprieve
Preservation group’s vote gives supporters more time to raise funds to try to save building.
By ADAM JACKSON
Tribune Staff Writer
The Tivoli Theater, a fixture in downtown Mishawaka since the 1920s, has been given a reprieve from the wrecking ball.
Tribune File Photo/BARBARA ALLISON
MISHAWAKA — Once again, the historic Tivoli Theater has a new lease on life.
How long that life will be, however, depends entirely on the Mishawaka Common Council.
Mishawaka Historic Preservation Commission members voted 6-1 Tuesday to recommend interim protection to the aging show house, opened in 1925 at 208 N. Main St. The vote means that plans to demolish the building as early as this month will have to be put on hold until Common Council members can vote to either accept or reject the commission’s vote.
To Susan Baxter, who chairs the Save the Tivoli Coalition, the vote was nothing short of heaven-sent, not to mention a call to arms.
“It’s a miracle,” she said after Tuesday’s meeting. “The next step is to hit the streets and start raising money.”
Built as a vaudeville and film theater in the Roaring ‘20s, the Tivoli served its avowed purpose until the 1960s, when it was renamed the Cinema Art and used as a forum for adult movies and entertainment.
The city bought the theater in 1992, kicking off a series of attempts to redevelop the building, which is in need of extensive structural and cosmetic repair. Neither developer Ken Allen nor preservationist group Beiger Heritage were successful in scraping together the millions believed necessary to make the Tivoli usable.
But Baxter and other supporters of the idea of rescuing the old theater have rallied in the wake of Mayor Jeff Rea’s State of the City address in February, when he announced that he would seek to demolish the Tivoli after years of failed attempts to save the building.
The new plan of attack involves using donations to provide matching funds for state, federal and private grants to renovate the building, after which it would become a home base for several theater and art production groups, as well as a space available for traveling acts and local productions. Art and classic movies could also be shown at the refurbished theater.
How to help
The Mishawaka Coalition to Save the Tivoli is making an all-out effort to gather money to save the 1920s-era theater from demolition. To help, contact Susan Baxter at (574) 257-2714 or e-mail her at
It’s a plan wholly embraced by Tivoli supporters like Joe DeKever, who took the microphone at Tuesday’s meeting to show his support for it.
“The question here is a simple one,” he said. “Do we want a parking lot? Or do we want a restored theater?”
DeKever wasn’t alone. One by one, Tivoli supporters made their way forward at the meeting, citing reasons to save the theater. Some mentioned the historic significance of the old building, which is designed to make actors on the stage audible to all of the 1,500 seats. Others spoke about the theater as a way to bring arts and entertainment to the rebirth of Mishawaka’s downtown.
But the Tivoli’s supporters almost didn’t make it in time. City officials accepted bids for the Tivoli’s demolition in May, and only an offer by Rea to hold off on awarding a bid until after Tuesday’s meeting saved the theater from a contract for destruction.
Now, if Common Council members vote to uphold the interim protection, Rea and other city officials looking to tear down the city-owned property to pave the way for new development would have to satisfy a range of conditions, including applying for a certificate of compliance to show that they had met those conditions.
Rea said the commission’s decision was a disappointment that could add months to the demolition process.
“We had really hoped that (the commission) would recognize the wishes of the property owner,” Rea said. “We appreciate the enthusiasm of the (Tivoli supporters), but we have tried for years to find a way to save this building.”
Whether the Tivoli’s reprieve is a month or a year, Baxter vowed it would not be wasted. The state has already awarded the group a $10,000 grant to hire a Cleveland-based firm to conduct a marketing and feasibility study, which could begin as early as next week.
In the meantime, she and her fellow theater lovers plan to put foot to pavement as they canvass neighborhoods for donors to save the theater. Baxter said she expects to find plenty, thanks in part to Rea’s announcement that he would seek to demolish the building.
“The mayor has been a real catalyst in bringing interest back to the Tivoli,” she said. “If no one is interested in purchasing the naming rights to the restored auditorium, I’m willing to suggest we name it after him.”
Oh, and I guess I better credit the South Bend Tribune for these articles I’m posting because of copyright stuff!
And, how do I join and what can I do for the Coalition to Save the Tivoli???
Later.
Tonight’s the big night. Good luck you guys and may you win! I can’t be in attendance at the meeting today due to work. I was outside the Tivoli Sunday night showing the place to a friend and the facade is better than I remember. Later!
I am head of the Mishawaka Coalition to Save the Tivoli, and I want to thank you for keeping our hopes alive on your website. Our group has done much since February, and the plan we will present to the Preservation Commission June 1 is solid. I just don’t know how well it will be received; they keep saying “Show us the money.” Difficult to raise money for a building you don’t own!
I hereby send up a “Hail-Mary” to anyone out there who might who might be interested in making a non-binding pledge to our organization, or who might know anyone who’d like to invest for naming rights to the auditorium:
As you say, time is of the essence! Our experts say the building is not nearly in as rough a shape as people think; preservationists tell us they have done more with less…
SOS!
Another update in today’s paper:
Works board opens bids for theater demolition
The fate of the Tivoli Theater is one step closer to being decided after city officials opened bids for the demolition of the building Tuesday.
Four bids for the demolition, ranging from $104,500 to $191,695, were opened at the city’s regular Board of Public Works meeting. A set of alternate bids that would include the preparation and painting of a wall that would be exposed by the demolition also was examined. The latter set of bids ranged from $112,034 to $202,519.
The contracts will not be awarded until after a June 1 meeting of the Mishawaka Historic Preservation Commission, during which commission members will decide whether to grant temporary protection to the building. If the protection is not given, the Tivoli could be demolished in mid-June.
Found this in today’s paper. There may be hope, yet.
MISHAWAKA — Since it was opened in 1925, the Tivoli Theater has seen vaudeville acts, Saturday matinees and even pornography beckoning patrons to its vaulted auditorium.
Now, the outcome of a meeting of Mishawaka’s Historic Preservation Commission could determine whether the empty theater will see something else — a six-month reprieve from the wrecking ball.
Despite plans to demolish the theater as early as June, Mishawaka Mayor Jeffrey Rea has agreed to comply with a request from the commission to delay opening bids for the demolition until after the commission’s June 1 meeting.
That gives commission members a chance to discuss granting the aging theater temporary protection status for six months, a power afforded to the group by statute.
“We can vote for a temporary delay,” William Gering, chairman of the commission, said. “There is a lot of interest in saving the theater, and this will give us time to discuss what to do.”
The fate of the Tivoli has been all but sealed since Rea delivered his State of the City address in February. Citing many failed attempts to rescue the once-grand theater from the state of decay it has fallen into, Rea announced his intentions to raze the building to pave the way for new development.
It’s a plan he vows will only be dropped if an investor possessing both a sound usage plan and the financial wherewithal to make it happen steps in.
So far, Rea said, that hasn’t happened, and that, despite his willingness to wait until after June 1 to open the demolition bids, he said he still plans to move ahead with demolition as soon as possible. He also said he’ll attend the commission meeting to argue against the six-month stay of execution.
“In six months, our demolition costs could go up,” he said. “We have to send an employee over there every day to check on the property.
“This has a definite financial impact on the city,” Rea said.
The announcement was good news for preservationists who hope the Tivoli can be restored to form a cultural centerpiece for the city’s forthcoming River Center development. Groups ranging from a small theater company to a regionwide male choir have expressed a desire to use the Tivoli as a home base, and officials with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources have joined the fight to keep the theater intact.
“I commend (Rea) on this decision,” said Jon Smith, who heads up the DNR’s Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. “We really believe that there is still hope for the Tivoli, and I hope the members of the commission agree with us.”
Smith said that if the six-month delay in the demolition is granted, his organization would seek to prove the viability of the property and attract investors by hiring a Cleveland-based firm to conduct a feasibility study and economic impact study on the property. The firm he has in mind was instrumental in saving several decrepit Cleveland theaters from demolition, sparking the rebirth of the city’s theater district.
Whether he will get that chance remains to be seen. After more than a decade of failed attempts to save the Tivoli, Gering said it may take money, not studies, to stop the demolition.
“We can vote for a temporary delay, but the (Mishawaka Common Council) can override us,” he said. “I’d really like someone to tell me where the money is going to come from.
“But (the Tivoli) has a chance,” Gering said.
The meeting is set for 4 p.m. June 1 in the Council Chambers at Mishawaka City Hall, 600 E. Third St. The public is invited.
I thought I had read somewhere that they had found a way to proceed with the demolition before getting it de-listed. Yes, it would be great if they could at least keep the facade.
A recent article on this theater:
http://www.wndu.com/news/022004/news_24157.php
Although the theater is in need of extensive repair and needs to be delisted for demolition, concerned citizens could try and pressure the National Register administrators to hold off on delisting it. The proposed new commercial space should at least be built using the handsome existing facade.
This theater is slated to die in the next few months and no one seems to care. They’re taking bids for its demolition in May (2004). I guess being on the National Register of Historic Places does not mean very much anymore. Oh, and they’re going to use the land for a parking lot. Go figure. They say to fix it will cost $3 million and the city fathers decided they have a better use for the money, whatever that is.