Thanks to the work of Hillcrest Development, the City of Minneapolis, and the Hollywood Theater Task Force, several improvements to the vacant Hollywood Theater are occurring. These improvements will assist in marketing the property to potential developers for reuse. First, the house north of the theater (2819 Johnson Street) was demolished on February 23. Second, the City’s Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for staging and stabilization improvements. ANA commends these efforts, particularly the City’s willingness to budget up to $90,000 for stabilization work this year. For background information on the Hollywood Theater, please refer to a recent memo to the HPC (.pdf) and "The Hollywood Theater: Preservation Considerations" (.pdf)

House Demolition. Demolition of the house and garage at 2819 Johnson Street next to the Hollywood Theater occurred on February 23. The City of Minneapolis bought the property in the fall with the intention of clearing the site. The house and garage structures, the basement, and the garage’s concrete slab have been removed, and the basement hole was filled in. The contractor has salvaged and recycled as much of the materials as possible. The second phase of demolition will occur later in the spring when the ground has dried. In this phase, trees, the steps from the sidewalk, and the concrete walkway from the steps to the house will be removed, sod and grass seed will be planted, and a line of posts will be temporarily installed along the alley to prevent vehicle access. Ultimately, 2819 Johnson is expected to support redevelopment of the Hollywood Theater by providing parking, service access, or space for other related development.

Heritage Preservation Commission. On March 10, the HPC approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for staging and stabilization improvements to help market the theater. These will include the proposed removal the auditorium seats and the installation of new projection booth windows. This work is expected to occur in the coming months.