Protestors Gather in Royal Oak to “Save the Main” Ahead of Tuesday’s Vote
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 12, 2022)
Royal Oak, MI – Members of the Detroit Party Marching Band helped warm the crowd with musical performances under the marquee of the closed-down Main Theatre in Downtown Royal Oak on Saturday as over 100 people gathered to oppose plans to tear down the building.
The theater, which opened in 1941 and is known for its classic marquee and years of indie films and special performances, is slated to be removed in favor of a five-story mixed use development that fits in with the city’s Master Plan for more density in the Downtown.
The Planning Commission votes Tuesday evening, and those in the Save The Main nonprofit group gathered Saturday to encourage folks to email the Planning Commission with their thoughts and to attend the meeting.
The nonprofit Friends of Main Art Theatre formed after the closure of the theatre was announced in June 2021. They have been talking with the owner and exploring funding options, but do not have the resources to purchase the building.
In June, Royal Oak’s Economic Development Director Todd Fenton told Oakland County Times that the current building is in need of significant repairs, and the projection system and other technologies would also need to be replaced. Also, he said, “This is the trend we’re seeing. Small theatres across the country are closing, not opening. You can blame the pandemic. You can blame Netflix. You can blame people’s changing habits. There are a lot of reasons, but this isn’t something unique to Royal Oak. It’s the trend across the country.”
Friends of the Main Art Theatre want more than just money to matter in the decisions of the developer and the city.
As President Jason Krzysiak was saying “This is about community. This is about us coming together because we love this community. We love this theatre. We love the memories. We love the evenings and the days that we spent in this theatre with loved ones and friends, laughing our asses off, crying our asses off” he was interrupted by a woman from the crowd who said “These experiences are worth more than the land is worth.”
Krzysiak argued that saving the Main is not just about the memories. With a nod to the large movie complex sharing a parking lot with the Main, he said “These are not the films you’re going to see down the road or in the parking lot. These were personal, independent human vision from around the world that are becoming rarer and rarer to encounter. And if we don’t create the spaces to look into other peoples lives and other people’s visions from around the world, then we are hurting society. We are going in the wrong direction…
“People talk about this is just about memories or nostalgia. And I say no. This is about the future of our community and the community we want to live in.”
Jane Strumm echoed the case for saving the Main as a part of the community. “The cultural offerings of Royal Oak matter a great deal, not only to our lifestyle but to the lifestyle of thousands of people really, people in the metropolitan area and beyond.”
Kevin Maher spoke about the vision for the group, saying they would love to see a nonprofit community-based theater operating in the space. He said that should Tuesday’s Planning Commission vote be in favor of the proposed development, Friends of the Main would “continue to fight.”
For more on the proposed plans, visit the City of Royal Oak website’s Planning Commission agenda. For more on Friends of the Main Art Theatre visit their website https://friendsofmainart.com/. For more local news visit the Oakland County Times Royal Oak News Page.
Previous articles:
Main Art Theatre Announces Closure
Main Art Theatre Closed, But Marquee Message Was Mistaken