THUNDER BAY — Eight years after the City of Thunder Bay sold the historic Lyceum Theatre building because of overdue taxes, the company that owns the property says it plans to proceed with redevelopment.
Spokesperson John Stankovic, who's based in St. Catharines, said he and his partners are looking to renovate the North Cumberland Street structure for extended-stay apartments or a hotel.
Stankovic told TBnewswatch architects will help to determine the optimal use of the building with a view toward maximizing the space.
It was constructed in 1909 for stage productions, was later converted to show motion pictures, and also housed offices and other businesses.
In more recent years, it fell into disrepair, leading to speculation it might have to be demolished.
City officials ultimately determined that only the roof required repairs.
Because the owner had fallen behind on property taxes, the city tried to get $150,000 for it in a tax sale in 2013.
The following year, it sold the building to a southern Ontario developer for $20,000.
City officials said they were pleased to have found a buyer who was interested in restoring it, but progress has been slow.
In an interview this week, Stankovic said his company, which owns numerous other properties, had hoped to get the Lyceum project done much earlier.
What they have done to date is replace the deteriorated roof and do some restructuring on the St. Paul Street side of the building, as well as completing demolition of the interior.
Stankovic said they're now preparing for the next stage.
"We already have architects and engineers hired....by the end of this year or beginning of next year we should have all approvals and permits in place. [After that] our goal is to be done in six to eight months."
He added, though, that "we're going to need a few bucks to do that."
Stankovic said the building's shell is structurally in excellent condition.
Cinematreasures.org also notes that it has "many interesting architectural focal points, including keystones with bearded faces, segmented semi-circular windows, and a large stone panel in the centre of the facade with the name LYCEUM incised in large letters. The structure is steel-framed with brick facing and stone trim."
Stankovic said rehabilitating it will be another step toward improving the city's north core.
He pointed to success stories such as the Courthouse Hotel on Camelot Street and the major upgrades underway at the former Shoreline Hotel, just down the street from the Lyceum building.
