Eastown Theatre
8041 Harper Avenue,
Detroit,
MI
48213
8041 Harper Avenue,
Detroit,
MI
48213
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 46 of 46 comments
Now it’s for sale for one million. Sure hope someone saves it. View link
Took a ride down to the Eastown last Saturday afternoon for a look see. The building has deteriorated some since the appraisal of June 2005. Upon driving around to the west apartment side of the building it is noticible that one or more of the apartments has had a fire in recent times and that/those apartments have no windows and are open to the elements. All other visible apartments look clean and have clean bright white curtains in all windows. The building and theatre as a whole look sound although all doors look like they would need to be replaced. The benefits of the property are it’s location at Harper and Van Dyke, one block from I-94 and only a mile east of I-75 so it is easily accessable from all directions. The block it is on has two well kept homes to the North of it and a mostly demolished building on the Van Dyke side and two or three small one story buildings on Harper next to Van Dyke. One of these buildings is a church which is a plus and on the next block north on the corner is another church, another plus in my opinion. It is a bad area but the pluses are that there are vast vacant areas all around where homes and buildings have been torn down and the land is clean and well kept. The block it’s on itself has large areas of vacant land which could easily be used to build a safe and secure parking structure to make people using the facility feel safe. With enough investment the building and store front level could be brought back – restored – to it’s 1930’s/1940’s condition. This would take some monies since the store front windows have been bricked up some time ago. These unused store fronts could be used for restaurants, coffee shops or other businesses that would attrached patrons coming down for concerts or shows. The theatre itself and these restaurants and shops could hire people from the two local churches to help run them. The Salvation Army or the Detroit Vietnam Vets could manage and run the apartment building and it might be a refuge for vets or people the Salvation Army are trying to help while they gain useful employment at the theatre or the businesses the building houses. There are signs of new development in the area with a BP Gas Station one block south on the east side of Van Dyke and across the street on the west side and new pharmacy and convenience store. There is no reason this site could do for the East Side what the Fox did for downtown. If only I’d won that bit lottery last Friday!
Hmmmm….. never heard the “rat story!!!” I always thought it might be the ever so subtile hauntings that gave people the ‘heebee-jeebies’ about the venue….
Charles, I was referring to the Gayety, not the Eastown. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.
Yes it was a movie theatre in the mid-80’s. It had a full projection booth and screen. I mainly showed horror movies that had already played in the major venues. One night a rat brushed an audience members foot and 600 people rushed thru the front doors and blocked traffic on Harper Avenue for twenty minutes.
Does anybody know if this theater ever showed films? I’ve been looking for a listing here on CT, but no luck:
http://tinyurl.com/2lqq8w
Picture of it as of the summer of 2007:
View link
In 2004 it was 2 Million, now 2 years later, it’s 2.5 Mil? All things considered, it seems like an outrageous price, prohibiting any kind of meaningful rehabilitation.
How do they justify that amount?
What a wonderful project for a school of building trades! The auto companies and building unions used to sponsor such types of training, but with cost-cutting measures, they no longer do. A school would be a revenue-generating venture for the area, something sorely needed.
While I’m happy about the resurgence of the downtown area, especially the Westin Book Cadillac, I’m concerned for the neighborhoods, such as this one. My mother grew up here in the 1930s & 1940s when it was predominately Belgian, German, Dutch and Italian. She says (she’s now 80) she remembers smelling the peonies that intertwined the cyclone fences walking to school. How lovely!
Part of the problem is there are no jobs in this area, few stores, and a lot of drugs and apathy because people have no hope. This was a middle class area of fine homes and businesses that, like much of Detroit, hit upon hard times when America decided to create a huge trade deficit instead of making things themselves. Detroiter, after all, make things. Just look at the level of craftsmanship in the buildings and homes, even in the worst areas of town, (which this is not) and it will be quite evident.
Every resurgence must start somewhere, and the Eastown would be perfect for the Harper-Van Dyke neighborhood, and the East Side in general. The Eastown is at the intersection of Harper and Van Dyke and just2 blocks from I-94…very accessible. I hope some one with vision, dedication, and, oh yeah, money (or backing) comes along before it is too late.
I didn’t think any DCPA people would ever see this. Yes, still in CA. Where are you? Awhile back, Harold Hogan was in the Actors Equity magazine. Got me reminising a bit. Glad to see he stuck with it. How and where are you?
We are the ghost of Eastown. Donna, are you in Los Angeles?
The Eastown Theatre was the venue used by The Detroit Center for the Performing Arts from 1984-1990. Producer, Edgar Dietrich and Artistic Director, Charles H. Reed brought Main Stage Productions, Children’s Theatre, Educational Plays and Plays devoted to Black History Month, Playwrites Forum, and Theatrical Workshops for underprivilaged inner city youth to the City of Detroit. I was proud to be a part of this company for many years, as I’m sure many other performers and theatrical professionals were as well.
Donna Reczek
Hello lostmemory,
hope you enjoyed my site ;)
Mik, did you save any posters or handbills? Being young in those days was unbelievable. Geri in SCS
i worked at the concession stand at the eastown and grande when i was 16 17 what a experiance in 71 71 73
Eastown has a lot of good memories for me. My friends and would pay five dollars to the great rock bands in the early 1970’s. Led Zeppelin, Mountain, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and so on. The only pictures I have are of Robert Plant! Great pictures posted by Neo. Geri Gillespie St. Clair Shores, MI
The office building is the Sissman Building
correct link: http://listing.loopnet.com/14066934
The theatre is for sale for $2 million here
Some Vintage Photos:
Grand Opening
Later Exterior Shot
Interior Shot
The property is currently used as a church (Deeper Life Ministries), but we would like to sell it. I am a volunteer with the church given the task of finding a buyer. Interested? If so, call me @(813)767-8886.