FeedsThe old vs. the ugly
A discussion at the Wayne 2020 Committee meeting last week sets an interesting debate for our city:
What could provide more potential for economic redevelopment: the Historic Wayne Theater or the Metro Place Mall property?
On the surface, both have several similarities. They are located in prime positions in the downtown area. They’re ugly. And it’s not economically feasible—at least in the short term—to fix either one. It would cost at least $5 million to turn either property into a viable attraction to the downtown area.
For the theater, that would bring the 80-year-old structure up to code and turn it into a regional arts center that could feature anything from intimate concerts to film festivals. The front would be transformed from a grassy pocket into a new restaurant topped with offices and rooms that could house a variety of artistic groups. It could be a magnet for arts and culture and provide a unique identity to downtown Wayne, one that could feed off the State Wayne Theater nearby.
The Metro Place Mall—and the 6 acres of property there—could provide the springboard for a new downtown area, the type envisioned in the Andrews University study. If it could be torn down, in stages, and replaced with a more modern structure that would feature retail or office space on the lower levels and flats, condominiums or apartments on the upper levels, it would provide a dual purpose: bringing more shops downtown and more people to frequent them.
If the property were sectioned off, and outlots created for additional development, that, along with the relaxation of parking restrictions in the area, could help bring in what many people here want to see: a nice chain restaurant that would serve as a catalyst for other investors.
Through their discussion last week, committee members put the Metro Place Mall plan ahead of the theater, and it’s hard to disagree with that. For all of the potential the theater has, it’s relatively tucked away, it doesn’t seem to be as glaring a problem as the outdated old mall.
I still think the theater should be kept intact. A historic theater, revamped for modern use, could bring more people to town to frequent the businesses.
The city may have to make some kind of decision on this sooner rather than later, too. The theater board is due before the dangerous buildings appeal board this month; should they not have enough money to bring the structure up to code they have offered to donate the land to the city, but that is no guarantee it would happen—the city council would have to decide whether to accept it.
