Photos of Liberty/Paramount Theater

[northside lurker]

I know what I forgot the second time...

Can you post his financial plans that he shared at the meeting?  In addition to the members here, there are people at my office who would be interested in the area and cost per square foot estimates.

[northside lurker]

I had a message all typed up, and it got lost when I hit "post"  I should be getting back to work, so I'll keep this short.

I never got the impression that he wants "our" money up front.  He should be able to begin work when money starts trickling in. (the 50% he is able to raise.)  I think that would be more than enough to stabilize the building.  I'm in "wait and see" mode.  If he is able to do substantial work on the building, he will gain credibility with me.

[northside lurker]

I'm just repeating his wishes that certain types of views not be posted.  When talking about liability issues, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

I'm sure an inspection is necessary.  But, considering there have already been architects (at least two) and contractors through the building, I doubt there are any major issues yet to be found.  With regard to the plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems, I would imagine that total replacement is the only real option.

What's special about the fire doors, are they original?  If there isn't anything special about the present doors, it's not a big deal to replace them.

[Towntalk]

That's strange ... doesn't he think that the city already knows the condition of that building? I'm sure that the building has already been inspected, if not by the city by CIC. Every vacant building downtown has been gone over the Kress building as an example.

Also, there's no question that there are plenty of code violations in that building that will have to be addressed such as asbestos, the plumbing and heating, as well as the electrical equipment. All that is to be expected in a building as old as the Paramount. Certainly before Paul can begin working on it, it will have to undergo a top to bottom inspection.

One thing that concerns me is the condition of the balcony's framing. Before he can do anything with it, the balcony will have to undergo a detailed inspection for structural soundness. With the leaky roof, dampness, and no heat for over 25 years what shape is the steel framework in?  All he would need is for the balcony to collapse with a crowd of people sitting there.

Another concern is the condition of the emergency exits. Do those fire doors work, or will they have to be replaced?

I don't want to throw a wet blanket on the project, but I do want to see it done right.

If he thinks that he can renovate the building without inspection he's mistaken.

[northside lurker]

Did he give any indication as to when work will start on stripping the building out?

He mentioned that he would like to have the building ready for tenants, and have some sort of grand opening by the theater's 90th birthday.  But he made no comments about when he will start.

Jay:

Did you get any pictures of the auditorium itself so that we can compare them with the earlier photos that were taken in 2002 or there abouts?

These photos are good, but give us little information about the condition of the auditorium and lobby.

I'd really appreciate it if you could add one or two pictures of these two areas.

Corey and Jaime also went on a tour through the building and took pictures, but were asked--by Paul--not to post overall pictures of the interior.  Apparently, he is worried about liability issues from letting people into the building.  The larger pictures may show some sort of code violation.

[Towntalk]

There are companies that can refurbish those projectors. The question is ... are the lenses still there? Those projectors were equipped with CinemaScope lenses and the sound equipment was Stereophonic. The second question is ... Since they have been sitting there for over 25 years unused are they worth repairing. When Richard Blackwell was trying to restore the Paramount, he fired up the amps and they were still working, but that was over 25 years ago.

As to the seats, considering the conditions of the building, it wouldn't make sense to try to have them reupholstered. As I understand it, Paul plans to have all the seats on the main floor removed, and turning the balcony into a Twin Cinema.

Did he give any indication as to when work will start on stripping the building out?

[Towntalk]

Jay:

Did you get any pictures of the auditorium itself so that we can compare them with the earlier photos that were taken in 2002 or there abouts?

These photos are good, but give us little information about the condition of the auditorium and lobby.

I'd really appreciate it if you could add one or two pictures of these two areas.

[northside lurker]

I've been told by a coworker that once, a Youngstown Thermal steam line that ran through the basement burst, filling the whole place with steam for an extended period of time.  This couldn't have been good for any part of the building.

Paul Warshauer outlined his budget--and where it needs to come from--last night.  A good portion of it--almost half--he expects to come from the government and large businesses.  But, it will take time to get the drawings made and reviewed by the proper gov't officials.  Hopefully, someone took better notes than I did, and can explain this better.

[jay]

This is one of the two film projectors that still remain in the projection booth at the top of the theater.

[jay]

Many of the seats remain.  Most are covered with dust and debris.   Note the figures on the side of the isle seat.

[jay]

Here are a few photos taken inside the Liberty/Paramount Theater this week by a group touring the building with the owner.  This shot of the ceiling over the balcony shows that plaster has fallen away due to water leaking from holes in the roof.