LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- A sawbuck is what couples used to pay to see a flick at the old Hilliard Square Theater. That's now what the city will be paying to take over the site of the recently demolished building, located on the north side of Hilliard Road between Northland and Olive avenues.

"The main reason we're doing this is so the city can finally gain control after we've spent $940,000 to abate and demolish the property," Lakewood Director of Planning & Development Bryce Sylvester said. "The contingency is the property is transferred free and clear of any liens."

Deemed a nuisance in 2013, the building, which was constructed nearly a century ago and closed more than 30 years ago, was demolished in early 2017 using a $200,000 Cuyahoga County Demolition Program grant. That's part of the $940,000 figure.

While the city has a lien on the 0.43-acre property to recoup its investment, owner Bob Dobush won't have to pay as part of the $10 deal. Sylvester noted Dobush may have an additional lien on the land; however, Sylvester believes it was discharged.

"The future is undetermined," Mayor Mike Summers said. "We have consciously held off dreaming and planning for the best use of this site until we had control.

"We look forward to community discussions about possibilities. The marketplace of goods and services will also be our partner. Since the city has ownership, we are able to control its reuse," he said.

City Council President Sam O'Leary, who expects the council to approve the deal at its May 21 meeting, said he's excited about the city writing a new chapter regarding the neighborhood's future.

"The site is close to several important anchors and assets of the Hilliard Triangle neighborhood, like Wagar Park, Harding Middle School the Madison Avenue commercial corridor," O'Leary said. "There are lots of opportunities to do something with this site that accentuates and augments what is already a bustling and diverse area.

"It's a unique site, and we want to be creative about how it might be a productive piece of the neighborhood again, while also encouraging others who might be interested in the site to think creatively," he said.

Sylvester said he expects the city to take ownership this summer of the land, which is currently zoned for retail and commercial uses.

"It's still very, very early," Sylvester said. "We do get asked about the property from time to time, but honestly, that's more by residents. Still, it fronts on Madison Avenue and presents a development opportunity for sure."

Added O'Leary, "I expect that we'll have all options on the table, including simply selling the land to the highest bidder, putting out an RFP to see what innovative proposals might already exist for this site, as well as any other possible reuses for the land."

City officials are happy the formerly dilapidated building is no longer an eyesore.

"This was about removing a structural nuisance, a public nuisance in that commercial neighborhood and its impact on the district," Sylvester said. "So that goal was achieved. We're really just taking the next step, which is to gain control. We'll start thinking about the future use very soon."