Moreland Theater

The Moreland Theater was originally designed and built in the 1920’s as a mixed use facility. The primary use was a 1,296-seat movie/vaudeville theater, including an orchestra pit and a fly loft. The second floor of the building was designed for use as a multi-tenant office space and two apartments. The basement areas were designed for retail storage, mechanical/electrical systems and dressing rooms for the theater. The theater space was converted to a church; the retail space and second floor have been used for both church offices and other office tenants.

Buckeye Area Development Corporation (BADC) proposes to continue the mixed use history of the building, converting the original theater space from its current worship use to a flexible, multi-purpose entertainment venue. The Moreland Theater will offer banquet facilities while also hosting artistic and cultural events. The storefronts at the northern face of the building (along Buckeye Road) will be occupied by four (4) retail tenants. The second floor will be renovated for a variety of uses including space for arts and cultural groups.

The comprehensive plan for the building involves exterior renovations that are currently estimated at $6.1 million. The scope will include a new roof, display windows, new signage, new parking lot(s), and the chemical cleaning of the exterior surfaces. The interior build-out will include new mechanical systems, new walls and flooring, and ample phone and computer DSL lines. It is estimated that 75 temporary construction jobs and 80 full-time jobs will be created as a result of the renovation of the Moreland Theater. Phase I of the redevelopment entails the rehabilitation of the storefront street level façades and some minor interior repairs including new bathrooms, new carpeting and painting, estimated to cost $172,000.