If you stand among the orchestra seats at the historic East Point Auditorium, designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the 11 most endangered cultural landmarks in the country, you can look up and see the sky.
Or, if it happens to be wet that day, rain.
Built in 1931 and once host to such performers as Charles Brown, Count Basie and Patsy Cline, the 1,500-seat showplace is now open to the weather.
Video of a recent tour shows chunks of plaster that have collapsed onto the stage, rotted floorboards and a lighting fixture leaning askew against a lonely piano.
Condemned in 2011, the auditorium and the adjacent East Point Library and East Point City Hall were slated for destruction when an alarmed group of citizens formed the East Point Preservation Alliance. They lobbied the city, put up yard signs and helped the buildings earn historic designation.
Now, it looks as if the buildings may be granted a stay of execution.
City Councilman Alexander Gothard said both the council and the city manager would like to see the buildings preserved, and that there are no plans to tear them down.
While preservation advocates would like to see the hole in the auditorium roof covered up, Gothard said that putting a tarp over a leaking roof can cause more problems than it solves, by holding moisture in.
He said he was “ashamed” of the conditions of the buildings. “We see the value in saving those buildings. … If it’s done right, it can pay for itself.”
Preservation group leader Stas Rusek ran for City Council this last election cycle stressing the need to save the buildings. He was defeated, but his platform appears to have survived.
“This was an issue that came up a lot,” said Rusek’s wife and fellow Alliance leader, Vickie Chung.
She said that, although the city hasn’t taken formal action, it has asked for a proposed timeline for the renovation and appears disposed to follow through.
The East Point City Hall was completed in 1931, and the outline of its distinctive cupola/bell tower can be seen on the city’s official seal. It was used for city offices until recently, but it also has sprung a leak in the roof.
The East Point Auditorium served as a cultural center, site of musical performances and live radio shows.
Nena Gilreath, co-founder of the East Point-based Ballethnic Dance Company, said her students utilized the building, frequently holding graduation performances and recitals in the auditorium. She has become an evangelist for its preservation.
“There are great memories we have of being in that auditorium and celebrating,” Gilreath said.
The East Point Library was built in 1939 in the Federal Revival style through President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s public works labor force, and is sometimes called the New Deal Library. It is now used for storage.
Also part of the block of historic buildings is Victory Park, a small green space that commemorates East Point residents killed in war.
An assessment of the status of the buildings put the cost of renovations at $1.5 million, which would include solving a mold problem and dealing with asbestos abatement. Rusek said he thinks it might cost more than that, but suggested that the cost could be covered by East Point’s share of a hotel-motel tax collected to help improve tourism.
If the auditorium were developed into a performance venue, it could help bring people to town, Rusek said. He sees the auditorium as a potential alternative to the Buckhead Theatre or the Variety Playhouse.
That size venue is “a sweet spot in the entertainment industry,” he said. The advantage for East Point is transportation. “They don’t have what we have, which is a MARTA station two blocks across the street.”
A disadvantage for East Point is the widespread belief that the city has a crime problem, he said. Bringing people to town would help show off its finer points, and dispel that reputation.
“If we kill the heart of our city, we will kill East Point.”
About the Author
