Salisbury, MD
The 1,100 seat Boulevard Theatre is a visible landmark in downtown Salisbury, with its "Movies 6" sign decorated with neon tubing.

The 61-year-old theater -- equipped with a party room and nursery -- was donated to the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council in March 2001 with the intent to restore the facility into a performing arts center.

"It just didn't happen," said James Gillespie, director of SWAC. "They found black mold in the infrastructure of the building among other things."

With the cost to renovate the Boulevard Theatre at an estimated $8.3 million, SWAC knew it was in its best interest to sell the facility, Gillespie said. In June 2006, the building was sold to David Moore, a local attorney, for $175,190.

Moore said he hasn't told Gillespie this, but he wants to remove all Boulevard memorabilia and have an auction with proceeds to be donated to SWAC. The most valuable facility items include the marquee, film projector, chairs and popcorn popper.

"I get asked often about memorabilia," Moore said Tuesday. "The fairest way to do it is to have an auction and donate to the Arts Council."

The new building in the theater's place "could be a mix of residential and commercial," he said.

Demolition of the theater is slated to occur by the end of spring, Moore said.

Gillespie said the $25,135 of SWAC's collected donations for the Boulevard project throughout the years was put into the Community Performing Arts Center fund held at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

"There are a number of people in the community who characterize the Boulevard Theater as a failed project, but it raised our awareness of how much the community wants a performing arts theater," Gillespie said. "We offered to return any donations or keep them to put (in the fund)."

The money from the theater sale created the Wicomico County Endowment for the Arts through the Community Foundation, which Gillespie says will be given to "Wicomico County public schools' arts programs and local arts organizations."

The mission of SWAC focuses on developing arts awareness through educational programs and community outreach and promotes artistic experiences for diverse ages and cultures.

"It's local money supporting local arts," he said. "This was a community theater, and whatever we do will benefit the community.

Originally published online here: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/NEWS01/801230345/1002