AUBURN, Wash. — The Auburn Avenue Theater building has stood in Downtown Auburn for more than 100 years. But on Tuesday, the credits finally rolled as demolition began.
"It's a main stake in the city,” said Billy Jack Newman, the brewer at Rail Hop’n Brewing. “A lot of people are probably bummed that it's getting torn down, but it had to because of the fire from a couple of years ago.”
A fire in the summer of 2021 ruined the building, causing it to be condemned due to structural damage.
“People were disappointed when the Auburn Avenue Theater was closed down,” said Newman.
Nearby businesses say not having the theater hurt the community and businesses downtown with less foot traffic in the area. Some people who work downtown say they are excited that the city is building a new theater in its place.
"Knowing that pretty soon we're going to get it back is pretty exciting,” said Newman. “It builds the community up by having that theater back.”
The building was erected around 1905, and it served many purposes over the years. The City of Auburn said it started as a stable and then served as many things including a motor depot, movie theater, dinner theater, and most recently a city owned performing arts theater.
“I know our local businesses are really looking forward to the rebuild here and having an opportunity to bring people back in town,” said Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus.
The new theater will also be accompanied by a new greenspace where city leaders say the community can gather. They also plan to renovate the area around the theater and add string lights to create an atmosphere where people want to visit and stay.
Backus has been the city's top leader for 11 years but has lived in Auburn more than 50 years. She said the theater played an important role in many people’s lives in the community, including her own.
“I’ve been coming to this since it was a movie theater back in the late 60s,” said Backus.
Mayor Backus said the sign was saved off the old building and that some of the old bricks will be utilized to commemorate the historic theater.
“It's like they say, out of the ashes comes something wonderful, and I do believe that's what's happening here,” said Backus.
While the community mourns the loss of a piece of Auburn history, they're hopeful the new theater can honor the legacy of the last one and continue to serve the community for decades to come.
“When they rebuild the new location, they get to bring back some of the old history with a new structure,” said Newman. “Even though the new building won’t be 100 years old, the story of the Auburn Avenue Theater will be over 100 years old, and always in everybody's hearts.”
Demolition is expected to last one week and construction on the new theater is expected to start next year.