This was not on the site of the 78 Drive-In. The parking lot and pad remaining after demolition can be seen on Google Maps “Earth” view here: https://goo.gl/maps/DZveUicvGoz and the cinema building is still visible in “Street View”.
Vince Amaro, owner of the aforementioned Estate Liquidators LLC, has purchased the building and given the cinema operator 60 days to vacate. He proposed to restore the auditorium as a community performing arts center.
The Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections has a c. 1928 photo of the original Homewood Theatre facade (with ads for the 1928 Lon Chaney police caper “While the City Sleeps”): http://bplonline.cdmhost.com/u?/p4017coll6,1643
And fabulous Birmingham nostalgia site “Birmingham Rewound” has a copy of a brief January 1941 Birmingham News article about the renovations (with the architect’s facade rendering): View link.jpg)
There are several views of the interior on Flickr as well. View link
The current estimate is that a full restoration will cost around $20 million. The major fund-raising push hasn’t quite yet been launched, but time isn’t the Lyric’s friend. Individual donors will help generate support for bigger sponsorships, grants and other funding, so don’t be shy about helping out – View link
This was not on the site of the 78 Drive-In. The parking lot and pad remaining after demolition can be seen on Google Maps “Earth” view here: https://goo.gl/maps/DZveUicvGoz and the cinema building is still visible in “Street View”.
Vince Amaro, owner of the aforementioned Estate Liquidators LLC, has purchased the building and given the cinema operator 60 days to vacate. He proposed to restore the auditorium as a community performing arts center.
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2014/12/08/east-lake-adult-theatre-cinema-blue-purchased-will.html
PS: Mural entitled “The Allegory of the Muses” by artist Harry Hawkins
The Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections has a c. 1928 photo of the original Homewood Theatre facade (with ads for the 1928 Lon Chaney police caper “While the City Sleeps”): http://bplonline.cdmhost.com/u?/p4017coll6,1643
And fabulous Birmingham nostalgia site “Birmingham Rewound” has a copy of a brief January 1941 Birmingham News article about the renovations (with the architect’s facade rendering): View link.jpg)
I’m digesting these sources into a Bhamwiki article: http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Homewood_Theatre
I’ve got a small article up on Bhamwiki about this theater: http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Lyric_Theatre
There are several views of the interior on Flickr as well. View link
The current estimate is that a full restoration will cost around $20 million. The major fund-raising push hasn’t quite yet been launched, but time isn’t the Lyric’s friend. Individual donors will help generate support for bigger sponsorships, grants and other funding, so don’t be shy about helping out – View link