Schine’s Theater one step closer to coming down

BUCYRUS – The city of Bucyrus took a major step forward Wednesday toward demolishing the old Schine’s Theater, and it will take another one on Thursday.

The city’s Board of Control met to accept a handful of bids for the demolition, some of which included the necessary asbestos abatement that must occur first, while others did not. The entire project, including both the asbestos removal and the demolition, has been estimated by the city to cost $400,000.

Moderalli Excavating, of Poland, Ohio, bid $397,700 for hot demolition, which includes the asbestos abatement, and $299,700 for just the general demolition.

D&R Demolition, of Archbold, bid $513,000 for hot demolition and $274,000 for demolition only.

B&B Wrecking, Cleveland, bid $164,700 for the demolition only, and Safeco, also of Cleveland, bid $619,501 for the asbestos work only.

Eunice Collene, administrative assistant to the mayor and service safety director, said the city hopes to have the condemned theater down before the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival begins on Aug. 13. To that end, the city is moving right along with the awarding of the demolition contract, scheduled for Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in City Council chambers.

The city is working with the state to obtain grant money to help bring the structure down.

The theater, which was built in 1936 at the corner of South Sandusky Avenue and East Warren Street, has been closed since a fire broke out in the front of the structure in 1991. After that, steady deterioration set in. A concerted effort to raise $3 million to restore the Schine’s to its former glory was begun in 2008, but by 2013 the dream was dead as the deterioration advanced.

The latest plans for the site call for the construction of an open-air park suitable for a variety of arts events. Collene said work should begin on the project this fall.

thill3@gannett.com

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Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ