Save the Highland Theater

The Demolition.

In late 2006, Ted Bare Enterprises, Inc, the owner of the Highland Theater, applied for a permit to demolish the auditorium portion of the theater and build a wall behind the lobby portion. Those plans were approved on January 2, 2007 by the City of Akron Building Department. The Highland Square Neighborhood Association has formed the Highland Square Theater Corporation, a company whose first goal is to stop the destruction of the theater.

For nearly 70 years the Highland Theater has served as the icon of the diverse Highland Square neighborhood. We all have fond memories of the theater, from seeing movies on one of the few remaining big screens to enjoying live performances in a uniquely intimate venue. The Highland Square Theater Corporation believes that it is important for these experiences to be available for next generation.

At this point, it is unclear how soon the demolition of the theater could begin. It could be as soon as late spring 2007. There are many factors that play into the proposed demolition, including whether or not Ted Bare Enterprises has a buyer that is willing to pay more for the land without the theater than with it.

On January 31, 2007, Akron Mayor, Don Plusquellic, called for three months to give us the time to put together a plan which would prevent the destruction of the theater.

The School.

Portage Path School of Technolgy has been working on plans for a new school for the past few years. The Highland Square Theater Corporation stands with the community in building a brand new, state-of-the-art school that gives each Portage Path student the greatest opportunity for success.

On January 31, 2007, three schematics for the new school were presented by Braun & Steidl Architects for the new Portage Path School of Technology. When compared to the second plan, the first plan preserves the theater without sacrificing a single square foot of building space for the students.

The second two plans call for the demolition of the theater and acquisition of the land on which it sits. Our estimates place the additional costs of these plans when compared to the first at a minimum increase of $750,000. The difference between these two plans and the one that preserves the theater? 25 parking spaces.

The Highland Square Theater Corporation has submitted a plan which preserves the theater by placing a single-level parking garage under the new school. This garage could be reached at street level from South Highland Avenue. Our plan provides triple the parking spaces as those that call for the destruction of the theater, and does it at the same estimated cost. Our plan offers a massive amount of parking for the school, while at the same time almost single-handedly solving Highland Square's parking woes.

The Goal.

We are proposing a multi-use facility that can be accessed by the school for performances, award ceremonies and other educational purposes; by the community for town hall meetings, charity events, private parties and seminars, and as an entertainment destination showing films, concerts and theatrical productions.

This proposal includes investments in a few appropriate changes that will not only make the Highland more inviting and comfortable, but will also generate more money for the theater and local businesses. It is clear that changes such as new seats and removal of the bar sign would make the theater more appealing to a wider audience.

There are many examples of self-sustaining theaters in similarly sized cities, including the nearby Canton Palace Theater. The Highland Theater is the only one of its size in the area, and as a result, we continue to receive pledges from arts and performance groups that are interested in renting it.

The Highland Square Theater Corporation believes in the economic viability of the Highland Square Neighborhood. Such a belief should come as no surprise, even to the campaign's critics. The recent $6 million investment by the City, the Library, First Merit Bank, and Steve Albrecht shows that Highland Square has a great potential to be a profitable neighborhood while remaining culturally important for Akron. The Highland Theater is key to the economic viability, character and substance of the future of Highland Square.