Alger Theater Undergoing Renovations, Rooftop Deck Planned

**MSUguy** · August-28-15, 11:56 AM

The Alger Theater on Detroit’s east side is undergoing renovations to enhance the audiovisual system and restore the theater’s commercial space. Additionally, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Friends of the Alger Theater are working to raise money to create a rooftop deck with a patio.

“This campaign will greatly accelerate our efforts and help us engage even more of the community in the transformation,” says Mike Gentile, vice president of Friends of the Alger Theater, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and preserving the historic Art Deco theater.

The nearly 13,500-square-foot Alger Theater, built in 1935 and closed in 1984, just began showing movies earlier in the summer for the first time in 30 years. It has undergone renovations to repair the roof, remove asbestos, and install security doors.

The Friends of the Alger Theater have launched acrowdfunding campaign to raise money for continued renovation work. The nonprofit is working to raise funds for an audio-visual system that would provide the auditorium with equipment to show movies, present live music, and support community meetings. The goal of the campaign is $25,000 and the MEDC will match that amount

Nice to see some of our city's history outside of the downtown area being saved.

http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/...-Deck-Planned/

https://www.patronicity.com/project/the_alger_theater#/
.

**Hermod** · August-28-15, 01:41 PM

While my main movie venues were the Civic and the Vogue, I caught a few flicks in the Alger.

**warsaw7** · August-28-15, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by MSUguy

Nice to see some of our city's history outside of the downtown area being saved.

http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/...-Deck-Planned/

https://www.patronicity.com/project/the_alger_theater#/
.

This is a huge win for East English Village! I have a feeling this neighborhood, along with the Jefferson/Chalmers block, is going to be an upcoming "hot spot."

Couldn't be more excited about living on the East Side

**Hermod** · August-28-15, 05:00 PM

What was the name of the theater over by Harper and Chalmers?

DetroitBoy · August-28-15, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

What was the name of the theater over by Harper and Chalmers?

It was the Harper theater. After it closed, it became Harpos disco club then it became a place for rock metal concerts. Amazingly, the building is still there and hasn't been destroyed like all the other businesses and buildings you can see from 94 going west across from Chandler Park.

Looks like the place has fallen to the ghetto and is on its last legs in this report:

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/2013/0...e-the-curtain/

DetroitBoy · August-28-15, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by warsaw7

This is a huge win for East English Village! I have a feeling this neighborhood, along with the Jefferson/Chalmers block, is going to be an upcoming "hot spot."

Couldn't be more excited about living on the East Side

It's already a 'hot spot' for gun fire. Hopefully, no gang of hood rats will invade your home while you are sleeping. There's nothing more exciting than being held at gunpoint.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · August-29-15, 06:14 PM

A renovated theater can have a good impact on a neighborhood and its business district; glad to see that this is progressing.

**Hermod** · August-29-15, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitBoy

It was the Harper theater. After it closed, it became Harpos disco club then it became a place for rock metal concerts. Amazingly, the building is still there and hasn't been destroyed like all the other businesses and buildings you can see from 94 going west across from Chandler Park.

Looks like the place has fallen to the ghetto and is on its last legs in this report:

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/2013/0...e-the-curtain/

No, the Harper theater wasn't near Chalmers, there was another.smaller one there.

DetroitBoy · August-29-15, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

No, the Harper theater wasn't near Chalmers, there was another.smaller one there.

The Harper Theater is almost on the corner of Harper and Chalmers. I have been there many times. The intersection is below with the Harper [[now Harpos) Theater on the upper right side of the picture.

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**mjb3** · August-30-15, 09:20 AM

I saw The Sound of Music at the Harper theatre in 71[[ my grandmother dragged me...)

**Bobl** · September-01-15, 09:27 AM

Security doors and a rooftop patio are nice. Too bad both are necessary. Parking will be a problem, as there are no lots and many hoodlums with guns in the area. I saw several films there, and spent a lot of time next door at the Red Carpet, years ago. That neighborhood was once a beautiful place, and I hope the previous poster's optimism is warranted:

"This is a huge win for East English Village! I have a feeling this neighborhood, along with the Jefferson/Chalmers block, is going to be an upcoming "hot spot."

My fingers are crossed.

DetroitBoy · September-02-15, 11:00 PM

Here's your wonderful East English Village neighborhood:

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detr...ied-to-hold-up

Still so excited to be living on the Eastside? It's a great place to live if you have a CPL and know how to use it well.

**Honky Tonk** · September-03-15, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by mjb3

[[ my grandmother dragged me...)

Yeah, I bet.....

**Honky Tonk** · September-03-15, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitBoy

Here's your wonderful East English Village neighborhood:

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detr...ied-to-hold-up

Still so excited to be living on the Eastside? It's a great place to live if you have a CPL and know how to use it well.

The guy got exactly what he deserved. How cheesy can you get going gangstah for a pair of sunglasses?

**EastsideAl** · September-03-15, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitBoy

Here's your wonderful East English Village neighborhood:

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detr...ied-to-hold-up

Still so excited to be living on the Eastside? It's a great place to live if you have a CPL and know how to use it well.

What the hell is your problem? Someone from EEV twist your little knickers or something?

**EastsideAl** · September-03-15, 09:15 AM

Also, Harpo's is still open, with several shows scheduled for October.

Originally Posted by Hermod

No, the Harper theater wasn't near Chalmers, there was another.smaller one there.

There was also the Chandler theater, also known as the Chalmers, which was closer to the corner. My dad went there a lot as a kid for Saturday matinees, etc. It was used as an auto shop for many years into the '90s.

**EastsideAl** · September-03-15, 09:30 AM

Went to the Alger a lot as a kid with my cousins who lived a few blocks away. Always enjoyed the place. I'm very happy for the people who have fought for years, against long odds, to save the Alger.

**warsaw7** · September-03-15, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitBoy

Here's your wonderful East English Village neighborhood:

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detr...ied-to-hold-up

Still so excited to be living on the Eastside? It's a great place to live if you have a CPL and know how to use it well.

Thanks for the heads up. I still concur that EEV is a relatively safe neighborhood.

**Hermod** · September-03-15, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Security doors and a rooftop patio are nice. Too bad both are necessary. Parking will be a problem, as there are no lots and many hoodlums with guns in the area. I saw several films there, and spent a lot of time next door at the Red Carpet, years ago. That neighborhood was once a beautiful place, and I hope the previous poster's optimism is warranted:

"This is a huge win for East English Village! I have a feeling this neighborhood, along with the Jefferson/Chalmers block, is going to be an upcoming "hot spot."

My fingers are crossed.

Wasn't the Benjamin Franklin Branch of the Detroit Public Library just adjacent to the Alger? That was the closest library to us. I read a lot of Duane Decker books there.

**IrishSpartan** · September-03-15, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Wasn't the Benjamin Franklin Branch of the Detroit Public Library just adjacent to the Alger? That was the closest library to us. I read a lot of Duane Decker books there.

Ben Franklin Branch is on 6 Mile just behind where the old Ramona Theater was located. The Thomas Jefferson Branch is on Outer Drive just past the Alger Theater.

**Hermod** · September-04-15, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by IrishSpartan

Ben Franklin Branch is on 6 Mile just behind where the old Ramona Theater was located. The Thomas Jefferson Branch is on Outer Drive just past the Alger Theater.

OK, got the names mixed up. Used to go to both of them. The TJ branch had a better selection.
Are they both still open?

**IrishSpartan** · September-04-15, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

OK, got the names mixed up. Used to go to both of them. The TJ branch had a better selection.
Are they both still open?

Yes, they are both still open.

**56packman** · September-08-15, 04:43 PM

The rooftop deck thing sounds like the stupidest idea possible for a theater building that hasn't been able to get a C of O for the main business, having shows inside the theater, for over 20 years. I get that they are not well funded, and made a major mistake by stopping the regular schedule of events inside the theater, but what is a roof top deck going to do for the long run? I know a little about this business, and getting the building sound, clean and open should be the only priority right now. Start making money, then build this 6 month of the year feature if that makes you happy. The parking situation does not appear to be ample, that will affect your business in this town.

**Jungaleer** · September-08-15, 06:12 PM

When Christ Methodist Church on E Warren was torn down and rebuilt, we met at the Alger Theater. I sang in the teenagers choir, so got to go backstage. They had huge bags of cooked popcorn back there and we managed to scoop some out every Sunday.

My mom and I could walk to the Uptown Theater on Mack and the Aloma on Charlevoix. We used to bike to the Alger and Parkside theaters for Saturday matinees.

Times were good on the East Side in the 40's and 50's. My home on Wayburn between Mack and Warren was torn down years ago. It used to be a beautiful multi-ethnic neighborhood with towering elm trees touchinbg each other across the street.

**Bobl** · September-08-15, 06:27 PM

Yes, Jungaleer, and it was still beautiful in the 1960s. The elm tree tunnels always brought comments from visitors. There could be a thread on elm trees, before and after their demise, here.
A friend lived in East English Village, in the 1990s. Elm trees were gone, but it was still beautiful. Snow removal was often done by volunteer residents. Neighbors tried to watch out for each other. Unfortunately, her cars were stolen, twice in a year [[1993), and she found that someone had tried to pry her back door open one night when she came home from work. Double deadbolts prevented entry. Moved three months later.