Former Central Avenue movie theater slated for demolition

Journal file photo Strand Studio on Central Avenue in Middletown, pictured in the 1950s (above) and in 2009 (below), is on the city's demolition list.

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Staff photo by Nick Graham

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 2:10 AM Sunday, October 18, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — It originally opened nearly 80 years ago as a place to catch a movie on a Saturday.

But by year’s end, the former Strand Theater on Central Avenue, later known as the Studio, will be demolished.

The former movie theater and the former bar adjacent to it in the 1300 block of Central Avenue are on the city’s demolition list as part of its effort to clear blighted and unsafe buildings and set it aside for future development.

Mike Robinette, Middletown’s economic development director, said the property was transferred to the city by Butler Realty Co. in mid-September. The bidding information for the demolition contract went out a few weeks ago and bids are due by 11 a.m. Nov. 3, according to city documents.

“It is sad in some respects, but we want to encourage redevelopment,” said Rachel Lewitt of Butler Realty Co. and owner of Harry A Finkelman Inc. Her company intends to form a public/private partnership with the city to encourage downtown development. “It’s a tough economy and it’s a challenge,” she said.

According to a Journal article written by the late historian George Crout, the 1,800-seat theater opened Oct. 23, 1929, as the Strand Theater. On Saturday afternoons in the 1930s, lines of children waiting to get into the Strand went from Central Avenue to Clinton Street. Similar lines also were common at the other three downtown movie houses.

In the early 1960s, Associated Theaters of Cincinnati announced the Strand would be renovated into a luxury facility.

When it reopened in July 1964, renamed the Studio, its 1,800 seats were replaced with 1,000 more comfortable lounge chairs.

The Studio closed in April 1984. Some of its equipment was moved to the Towne East Cinemas, which is now Marvin’s TV on Cincinnati-Dayton Road.

“It was a wonderful theater and it has a lot of memories for a lot of people,” said Lewitt, who shared that one of her fondest memories of the old theater was going to see the Walt Disney “Herbie the Love Bug” movies.

Robinette said the project would cost a few hundred thousand dollars, which would come from federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding. The demolition is expected to be completed in 90 days after the contract is awarded.

E-mail your memories of the old Studio Theater to butlercountynews@coxohio.com and put "Studio Theater memories" in the subject line.

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