United Artists Theatre

**Seven&wyo** · October-25-19, 10:29 AM

I think someone should smash Mike Illitch's grave stone. You demolish one of ours we demolish one of yours. Fair is fair

**bpstrat** · October-25-19, 10:49 AM

This is terrible. This is the building in Detroit I've wanted to be restored for the longest time.

All I know is that every time I go to the Fox, Fillmore, Masonic, Orchestra Hall or Opera House, people stare at the architecture in awe, take pictures and murmur about how beautiful they are. It never fails. So to act that "you can't use it for anything" is ridiculous. I know there are a lot of theaters in Detroit, but I'm sure if someone had enough vision we could support one more.

The sister theater still exists in LA as the Theatre at the Ace Hotel. All you have to do is look at that to see what the UA could be here. If they needed to replicate design elements, they could use the Ace as the basis.

To lose the UA would be shameful for Detroit.

**swingline** · October-25-19, 11:02 AM

With the Fillmore, Fox, Music Hall, Masonic, Opera House, Fisher, Gem, Majestic and the casinos [[including Caesar's Windsor) as event venues to compete with, it's pretty impossible to envision a business model that supports a multi-million dollar investment into the UA theater. But that doesn't mean that the state and the city should cave in to another demolition with the lost building replaced with a "landscaped parking lot." If the theater footprint is not viable for ramped parking [[and first floor retail), the taxing agencies should leverage their tax credits by requiring additional residential units on the newly vacant land. As for parking, remember that Ilitch Organization owns hundreds of surface spaces literally across the street from the UA. The feasibility of any UA redevelopment does not hinge on the availability of 15-20 spots that would fit on the theater footprint.

**Vitalis** · October-25-19, 02:20 PM

A business model for the UA?

Back in 1953, the Music Hall Theater committed to a major retrofitting, so that they could book and present CINERAMA attractions exclusively. They were promised a slew of such features over time that would have long, roadshow-like runs. And for the next decade The Music Hall was, indeed, the home of CINERAMA in Detroit. When new releases thinned out in later years, the MH booked exclusive, roadshow premieres of non-CINERAMA shows like, EL CID and The Sand Pebbles.

So, perhaps the idea would be to make the UA a shrine, a cathedral to film, focusing on a particular theme. An auditorium dedicated to large formats like CINERAMA or/and IMAX could draw audiences - certainly not 7 days a week, but over long weekends, surely?

However, and here is where all of the expense and intricate detailed work of a restoration on the scale of the UA meets the demands and requirements of large format viewing - the screen size and curvature and placement would mask the beauty of the proscenium and the rest of the front of the auditorium.

Still, if the theme were to be "Roadshow" movies - widescreen, true - but with screen requirements less challenging as with CINERAMA or IMAX formats - then perhaps the screen size could be incorporated into the restoration with far less marring of the handiwork.

A Revival House Like No Other! Welcome to Detroit's Own Motion Picture Cathedral - Welcome to The United Artists Theater!

**EastsideAl** · October-30-19, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Vitalis

A business model for the UA?

Back in 1953, the Music Hall Theater committed to a major retrofitting, so that they could book and present CINERAMA attractions exclusively. They were promised a slew of such features over time that would have long, roadshow-like runs. And for the next decade The Music Hall was, indeed, the home of CINERAMA in Detroit. When new releases thinned out in later years, the MH booked exclusive, roadshow premieres of non-CINERAMA shows like, EL CID and The Sand Pebbles.

So, perhaps the idea would be to make the UA a shrine, a cathedral to film, focusing on a particular theme. An auditorium dedicated to large formats like CINERAMA or/and IMAX could draw audiences - certainly not 7 days a week, but over long weekends, surely?

However, and here is where all of the expense and intricate detailed work of a restoration on the scale of the UA meets the demands and requirements of large format viewing - the screen size and curvature and placement would mask the beauty of the proscenium and the rest of the front of the auditorium.

Still, if the theme were to be "Roadshow" movies - widescreen, true - but with screen requirements less challenging as with CINERAMA or IMAX formats - then perhaps the screen size could be incorporated into the restoration with far less marring of the handiwork.

A Revival House Like No Other! Welcome to Detroit's Own Motion Picture Cathedral - Welcome to The United Artists Theater!

Funny thing is, this was Detroit's main theater for the big studio "roadshow" movies back in the '50s and early '60s. Many of those films were in wide screen formats [[although not as wide as true Cinerama) and if you look at more recent photos of the condition of the United Artists you can see where the proscenium was modified, and curtains added, to accommodate the wider screen. So the UA has the capability to show a lot of classic movies of that era in something very close to their original format, which the DIA or the Redford do not have.

**56packman** · November-09-19, 10:05 AM

The Redford has every technical capability that the UA had, the only thing the UA had that the Redford does not is the curved screen. When we first took over the Redford it had a semi-curved screen, it took up three hanging pipes backstage [[battons). The curved screen in the UA was kind of a gimmick. The movies weren't shot to use the curve, as singe projector Cinerama was, as projected at the Summit Cinerama on Lafayette. The Redford can and does show films in 70mm six-channel stereo on our 40 foot wide screen.

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Funny thing is, this was Detroit's main theater for the big studio "roadshow" movies back in the '50s and early '60s. Many of those films were in wide screen formats [[although not as wide as true Cinerama) and if you look at more recent photos of the condition of the United Artists you can see where the proscenium was modified, and curtains added, to accommodate the wider screen. So the UA has the capability to show a lot of classic movies of that era in something very close to their original format, which the DIA or the Redford do not have.

**Gistok** · October-25-19, 06:57 PM

Detroit Architect C. Howard Crane's mastery of unique and exotic styles was never in doubt.

He built his 3 exotic Spanish Gothic United Artists flagship theatres [[LA, Detroit, Chicago) in 1927, and then he got his stride for his 3 even more exotic Fox masterpieces [[Detroit, St. Louis, Brooklyn).

Here are some images of how the Detroit United Artists looked like soon after opening. It was as though you were in some Moorish Castilian medieval courtyard with the flat walls painted to look like ashlar stone blocks.

**Lowell** · October-26-19, 08:37 AM

I'm offering a $100 bet that cars will be parking on the UA footprint before [and if] the UA Building is ever renovated. Any takers? .... Thought so.

**southen** · October-26-19, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I'm offering a $100 bet that cars will be parking on the UA footprint before [and if] the UA Building is ever renovated. Any takers? .... Thought so.

It will be beautifully landscaped, so there's that.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · October-27-19, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by southen

It will be beautifully landscaped, so there's that.

Actually, they will promise that it will be beautifully landscaped but not even follow up on that.

**mikefmich** · October-28-19, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by southen

It will be beautifully landscaped, so there's that.

Lolololol.
Sad, so sad. Sitting here trying to remember what movies I've seen there.

**Detroitdave** · October-28-19, 08:55 AM

Absolutely not ! These guys are a-holes!
This family has already shown what they will do ,they can’t be trusted.
They make promises and want to build parking lots.
Absolutely Not !
Stop destroying Detroit’s history for f-ing parking lots!
Enough is enough!
The Ilitches haven’t finished ONE older building that they’ve bought from the city.
Their end game,IF they can get away with it, is to demo and add more parking to their already sea of parking lots .
Come on ! Enough is enough this is getting embarrassing.
We all know there is someone with the money and know how to have this historic beauty up to speed and his initials are DG Anyone wanna make a bet ?
This is just ridiculous. No way to this demo. Make him sell it to someone[[DG) who will do something with it and not make another parking lot out of it .sad truly sad
This family has already shown their true colors and we all know what they intend on doing with this site .

**ABetterDetroit** · October-28-19, 08:19 PM

Go figure.

The Ilitch developer is lying on why they need to demo.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...er/2484604001/

**Atticus** · October-29-19, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by ABetterDetroit

Go figure.

The Ilitch developer is lying on why they need to demo.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...er/2484604001/

As we all know, the plan has always been to get more parking.

And while most of us would obviously all prefer they redevelop the theater, there is/was nothing stopping them from just redeveloping the building itself, and leaving the theater as is. But they won’t redevelop the building, and we’re probably never going to. It was all smoke and mirrors to the real plan of just demolishing the theater to get more parking.

**Zads07** · October-29-19, 11:14 AM

This family is just the absolute worst for the city.

A loading dock. That’s what they would use the demolished theater space for.

F. Off.

**swingline** · October-29-19, 11:49 AM

Is there any public access to the Moten/Ilitch proposal for the UA building? What is proposed for parking? Are they proposing to use the existing lot that takes up the rest of the block, including the frontage on Grand Circus Park? [[Former Tuller Hotel site.) Does the city still have control of the rest of the block or has it been sold [[gifted) to the Ilitch Organization already? I've lost track of the status. Do the costs to the city of the UA redevelopment include the permanent commitment of Grand Circus Park frontage to surface parking? Regardless of how awful the result, no planning design blunder is impossible when it comes to these players.

**JK313** · October-29-19, 12:19 PM

A crains article from today also mentioned they wanted to tear down the theater because it would provide extra parking spaces that would make the apartments more marketable/attractive. So it looks like they’re planning on using the tuller/theater sites as surface parking for residents.

**DetroitGuy423** · October-30-19, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by JK313

A crains article from today also mentioned they wanted to tear down the theater because it would provide extra parking spaces that would make the apartments more marketable/attractive. So it looks like they’re planning on using the tuller/theater sites as surface parking for residents.

Which is a joke. I live in the Farwell Building at Capitol Park and we have no attached parking whatsoever. None. The Building has 84 units and only 11 are left, so the parking as a necessary marketing tool is a joke.

**Wesley Mouch** · October-30-19, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by JK313

A crains article from today also mentioned they wanted to tear down the theater because it would provide extra parking spaces that would make the apartments more marketable/attractive. So it looks like they’re planning on using the tuller/theater sites as surface parking for residents.

It also may be true that a certain number of parking spaces are REQUIRED by city codes. Its the norm that you have to provide at least one parking space per apartment. [[There are also typically square footage minimums per apartment.) These kind of zoning regulations can cause stupidity like tearing down an asset to provide parking. Sure, the Ilitches have a history of tearing down to create parking. If the city also requires it -- that's more fuel on the fire of stupidity. Think about this kind of rule when you what to create a new rule, regulation, or requirement. Things change. Today parking for apartments is less important because a lot of people just don't need cars -- even in Motown.

**Gistok** · October-29-19, 04:46 PM

The entire UA/Tuller block is owned by the Ilitches. I don't think that the Tuller portion [[facing Grand Circus Park) will be included as parking. It's too valuable to the Ilitches in case they ever start developing parcels.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/15...!4d-83.0530437

**NSortzi** · October-29-19, 06:25 PM

Funny how the need for a loading dock was their excuse for having the Hotel Park Avenue demolished too during construction of LCA. And they made a deal to develop the Eddystone in exchange...sounds eerily similar.

**Pontiac6000** · November-03-19, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

Funny how the need for a loading dock was their excuse for having the Hotel Park Avenue demolished too during construction of LCA. And they made a deal to develop the Eddystone in exchange...sounds eerily similar.

But the loading dock faces Cass, across from Mariners Inn, right?

**Detroitdave** · October-30-19, 04:57 PM

Also there are plenty of parking spaces in the GCP garage under the park.

**ABetterDetroit** · October-31-19, 01:00 PM

It is a shame that the Ilitch family are not professionals in the entertainment business. Someone like that would be able to figure out how to make a historic theatre downtown work...