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Lakewood City Council has authorized Mayor Michael Summers to enter into an agreement for as much as $1 million to demolish the Hilliard Square Theater on Hilliard Road west of the intersection with Madison Avenue.

(Bruce Geiselman, special to cleveland.com)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- City Council this week passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Michael Summers to spend as much as $1 million to demolish the former Hilliard Square Theater, which the city says has fallen into disrepair.



The first steps could begin in June as crews begin removing asbestos from the 89-year-old building. An inspection revealed asbestos is present throughout the building in plaster.



The city estimates asbestos abatement could take four to five months to complete and cost about $500,000. Demolition, which could follow in the fall, would cost about $400,000, Lakewood Planning and Development Director Dru Siley said.



The city plans to file a lien against the property in an attempt to recoup the money it spends on demolition. The theater, which has been empty for more than 25 years, poses a risk to the public, according to city officials.



"The condition of that structure warrants moving forward with the demolition now," Siley said.



The theater was declared a public nuisance in September 2013. The city's building and fire departments issued notices for corrections for electrical, plumbing, plaster, and debris problems.



The city in May 2014 removed the theater marquee, which extended over the sidewalk, to protect pedestrians. The city also fenced off part of the sidewalk in front of the building, which is just west of the intersection of Hilliard Road and Madison Avenue.



City officials hoped to demolish the building sooner but were trying to find additional funds to help offset the cost. The city last year received a $200,000 Cuyahoga County demolition grant. It tried to obtain a county brownfields grant, but didn't qualify because the city didn't own the property, Siley said. The city has been trying to negotiate its purchase, officials said.



The biggest problems with the building, both the city and owner Robert Dobush agree, are in the roof, which allowed water to enter the theater and cause damage.

Dobush declined to comment when contacted by cleveland.com this week. However, he previously told cleveland.com he wants to find someone interested in redeveloping the building rather than demolishing it.



The Hilliard Square Theater, with 1,228 seats, was built about 1927. It opened as a movie theater that also staged vaudeville shows. The theater closed in the early 1960s but reopened later under the name of the Westwood Theater, before closing in 1988.

Dobush purchased the theater and the attached apartments and storefronts 14 years ago for about $275,000 to prevent the building from being razed.

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