Duluth razes big portion of Red Clay Theatre

Duluth demolished a large chunk of its centerpiece Red Clay Theatre on Monday as part of a plan to widen Ga. 120 and increase the historic district's visibility from Buford Highway.

Work crews needed 40 minutes to raze 80 feet of the 1950s-era portion of the city-owned brick building at Ga. 120 and Main Street. That section was pegged for demolition more than a year ago, but the Gwinnett municipality of 26,000 decided to raze 20 percent more after discovering the building's interior was caked in mold after the September flooding.

"The tough part was the toxic mold," said Judy Wilson, president of the Duluth Historical Society. "Sometimes you can't save everything, but it's a real positive that they chose not to knock down the whole thing."

Over the years, that section had morphed from a grocery store to TV repair shop to cricket box factory. Until September, it served as a showroom for consignment furniture. What remains of the theater is the oldest of the original 1908 structure plus the 1990s-era stage and seating area.

Chris McGahee, the city's economic development manager, said the $31,500 demolition ultimately will benefit downtown merchants. Vehicles whizzing by on Buford Highway finally will get an unobstructed view of the retail shops in buildings older than the Red Clay Theatre, he said.

"This giant wall of warehouse-looking space is now gone," said McGahee, snapping pictures of the destruction. "It's the first step in really fully exposing the improvements the town has made."