Dearborn businessman plans to restore old Midway Theater façade

metromode, 9/11/2008

The interior of the old Midway Theater in Dearborn's east downtown may have changed but the building's owner plans to restore its exterior.

"We're trying to restore it to its original style," says Ahmed Chebbani, owner of the old Midway Theater.

That means Art Deco, and lots of it, for the circa-1936 building on 4915 Schaefer Road. Chebanni is starting a $75,000 façade restoration project this week that will repair or replace much of the structure's exterior stone work. The goal is to make it look like it did when it was a movie theater.

"It's one of the few Art Deco buildings around," Chebbani says. "It has quite a bit of significance."

Longtime locals have memories of the films it brought to downtown. In the the mid 1970s the 2-story building was split into two levels, ending its days as a movie house. The 18,000-square-foot structure now has office space on the second floor and will have a family entertainment center on the first.

Source: Ahmed Chebbani, owner of the old Midway Theater
Writer: Jon Zemke

Downtown Living , Redevelopment , Wayne County

Dearborn