The La Salle Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio was built in 1927 and first opened as a movie palace. For years the theatre remained a popular local spot, until a decline in the 1980s. During this time, the building’s life as a movie theatre came to an end, and new owners took control. There were attempts to turn the space into a comedy club or tavern, but those plans had fallen through.

After falling out of popularity, and eventually closing, it wasn’t until the 1990s when it saw new life as a vintage auto showroom. The showroom ran for a decent amount of time, but the theatre was once again abandoned in 2006. The theatre then sat mostly vacant until 2016, when the nonprofit Northeast Shores Development Corp. took over. Thankfully, the group saved the building from foreclosure and demolition in 2009, and planned a $4.1 million renovation started in 2016, turning the space into an arts, media and community center. The group was able to see success, and since then the center has been used as an event venue, community center, space for local theater groups and arts programs, as well as a meeting space for businesses and community members.

While it was not until 2016 that the group was finally able to take huge steps in progress, they had owned the building since 2009. Northeast Shores was able to purchase the building from Park View Federal Savings Bank for $150,000. City councilman Michael Polensek had secured city of Cleveland landmark status for the theatre one year earlier in 2008, making sure this important piece of history would not be demolished. It took the group about seven years to raise capital for the renovation, including money from federal and state historic tax credits. Funding included $650,000 from various city programs, $1.7 million in grants, equity and contributions, and $1.7 million in historic tax credits and a mortgage.

The theatre was designed by architect Nicola Petti , who had also designed the Variety Theatre, which opened the same year. Petti had also designed the Kinsman, Imperial, Moreland and Cedar lee theaters of the Greater Cleveland area, as well as theaters in Canton, Toledo and Mansfield.

He had designed the theater to feature a two-story limestone facade, and a central pavilion designed after a neoclassical temple with a triangular pediment on top. The La Salle Theatre was named after a 17th-century French explorer of the Great Lakes region – René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

La Salle was born in Rouen, France on November 22, 1643, and was an explorer best known for leading an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. When he claimed the Mississippi waters region for France, he had decided to name it Louisiana after King Louis XIV. He died in 1687 when he met failure on his final expedition to establish fur trading posts. Before his death however, he and New France Governor Daniel Courcelle had explored the Great Lakes region in order to extend French military power across the lakes.

The La Salle theatre once held 1,500 seats, and still features much of the original ornate design built onto the curved walls. Much of the plaster work had been deteriorating over years, but has now been restored. During its years as a vintage auto showroom, seats were removed, but the original sloped floor stayed. It wasn’t until the recent renovation by LDA Architects that the floor was leveled out. The La Salle marquee has also been restored, and digital displays have been added to its sides in place of the original movable letter space where announcements would be placed.

With it being one of the most prominent structures in the area, the community is happy to see it living a new life. Even during the renovation, many residents would stop by just to say how happy they were to see that someone cared enough.

In addition, the old theatre now features apartments on the upper floor, and retail spaces have been incorporated at the front of the building. Humphrey Popcorn Company opened inside the theatre in late 2018, and is just one business to occupy the historic structure. Another business is 4 Corners Framing, which currently operates on the opposite side.

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