Duluth's prized Red Clay Theatre demolished

Metro Atlanta

Duluth demolishes the oldest section of its prized Red Clay Theatre on Wednesday morning. Dating to 1908, the 2,400-square-foot brick footprint at Ga. 120 and Main Street was slated to be salvaged, but city officials said it had too many structural issues at too high a cost to repair.

Wednesday's demolition of the 1908 section of Duluth's Red Clay Theatre comes just a month after crews leveled another section of the brick building (shown above) as part of a plan to widen Ga. 120 and increase the historic district's visibility from Buford Highway.

Duluth levels the oldest portion of the city's prized Red Clay Theatre on Wednesday morning. The razing comes just a month after crews demolished another section of the building as part of a plan to widen Ga. 120 and increase the historic district's visibility from Buford Highway. What remains is the 1990s-era stage and seating area.

Work crews spend about an hour Wednesday morning leveling the oldest portion of Duluth's prized Red Clay Theatre.

Workers watch as crews knock down the oldest portion of the Red Clay Theatre. The city purchased the building in 1994 for $1.8 million. Originally a church, Duluth converted it into a theater in 2005 to spur economic development in the historic district.

"Progress is sometimes painful, " Economic Development Manager Chris McGahee said Wednesday after crews knocked down the 1908 portion of the Red Clay Theatre. "You hate to see the old girl go." The Downtown Development Authority soon will solicit public input in redevelopment plans for the site.

1/5

Wednesday's demolition of the 1908 section of Duluth's Red Clay Theatre comes just a month after crews leveled another section of the brick building (shown above) as part of a plan to widen Ga. 120 and increase the historic district's visibility from Buford Highway.

Today's Gallery Headlines

Alerts

PHOTOS: Hills4ATL builds community at Piedmont Park, one hill at a time

PHOTOS: Stone Mountain Easter Sunrise Service

PHOTOS: An early look at CNN Center's redevelopment in downtown Atlanta

PHOTOS: Wayfair opens first Atlanta store

PHOTOS: People gather in downtown Atlanta to protest U.S. military action in Venezuela

PHOTOS: The final print run of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHOTOS: Buddhist monks travel through Atlanta on ‘Walk for Peace’

PHOTOS: Coca-Cola ads over time