Salem reacts to Goodnight Fatty’s rooftop diner plans
From Wicked Local/North of Boston: The Salem Diner was open for nearly 80 years on Loring Avenue before serving its last meal in May. It is one of two Sterling Streamliner diners left in Massachusetts and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
A plan to move the iconic Salem Diner to a rooftop in Derby Square is creating quite a buzz, with many residents on board.
“It’s an ah-may-zing idea,” gushed Mary Ellen Smiley, who manages the Salem Museum, also in Derby Square. “I used to eat at the Salem Diner years ago. I am so excited! I love the roof idea.”
Dave Pszenny, of Salem, appreciates the mix of old and new. “It brings history and modern times together. And it allows people to enjoy Salem even more.”
United Artists Building developer looks to demolish historic theater
From Curbed/Detroit: A long-awaited redevelopment is finally seeing some forward momentum. Unfortunately, it may come at a cost of losing a historic but abandoned theater.
Bagley Development Group LLC, owned by developer Emmett Moten, is planning a $56 million redevelopment of the United Artists Building. The project would convert the 18-story downtown building, which has sat dormant for years, into 148 apartments with 20 percent designated as “affordable.”
At an October 24 meeting of the Detroit City Council Planning and Economic Development standing committee, Moten sought to establish an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation District and Neighborhood Enterprise Zone around the building, which would make it eligible for $2.43 million in property tax abatements.
Madison Theater Featured in New Book on Old Movie Palaces
From WGLT.org: Downtown Peoria’s Madison Theater is featured in a new book on abandoned movie theaters.
Matt Lambros is the author of “After the Final Curtain: America’s Abandoned Theaters.” He recently went into the theater to take photos.
It’s one of 20 theaters he profiled. Lambros said the Madison was “an astounding place to find.”
“Most theater projection booths, the windows are blacked out, but for some reason the Madison’s wasn’t. So you get this stream of daylight coming in and illuminating the place. So it’s almost like a spotlight right on the stage,” Lambros said.
He said there’s a light pink paint covering much of the theater’s interior, with hints of ornate plasterwork hidden beneath.
Preservationists and developer work to preserve as much of historic Santa Ana building as possible
From the Daily Pilot: Preservationists claimed partial victory Monday when a developer planning to demolish the abandoned First American Title building in Santa Ana agreed to try and preserve parts of the original Art Deco facade when it redevelops the property for apartments and other uses.
Toll Brothers Apartment Living, Preserve Orange County and the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society struck the deal during a city-facilitated meeting. The developer and the preservationists had sparred in recent weeks as the project at Fifth and Main streets moved through the city Planning Commission.
Tim Burton’s Original Art Is on Display at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas
The site-specific show, titled Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum, is now officially open through February 15, 2020, featuring large-scale artworks by the American auteur, who is known for his Gothic-style creations. In addition to being the first U.S. showcase of original artworks by Burton in nearly a decade, the Las Vegas exhibition also marks the first time some of these pieces have been showcased anywhere because Burton created various sculptures and installations specifically for the Las Vegas exhibition.