Odds sinking for Lincoln survival
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Two months ago when I wrote with dramatic resign that certain markers of our film culture in downstate Illinois were being “allowed to simply crumble down,” I had no clue that would come to pass so literally and quickly. Articles run by the Decatur Herald & Review last week report on how the city is crisis managing a sign of architectural aging and cultural stagnation. The video posted in this piece shows evidence of fallen bricks littering an alleyway behind the Lincoln Square Theatre, implication being the damage is new and could hurt passersby, along with notices giving the property owners 30 days to repair the exterior or face the threat of demolition. Decatur mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and other city officials claim in a follow-up piece they don’t want to tear it down and are struggling to find anyone representing its last owner, a non-profit formed in the 1990s and dissolved early in 2019 after the most recent shuttering of its doors. This new hiccup follows an ongoing series of setbacks and stalled promise that has faced various boards and management teams doing their best to revive the Lincoln at 141 N. Main Street in downtown Decatur, which ceased to be a first-run movie house in December 1980. H&R coverage of the Lincoln often focuses on talk of budget shortfalls, renovation needs, and an inability to fundraise and spend effectively, the repetition broken now and again by successful events such as a “100th Birthday Bash” staged in October 2016. It may be long overdue for the Decatur community to decide whether they can get behind one more push to restore the Lincoln as a multi-use venue and entertainment destination or if building something fresh from the ground up is the wise choice. Preserving a historic structure is an expensive process requiring years of dedication, although the Lincoln’s future stewards have nearby success stories to study: the Virginia in Champaign, the Normal in Normal, the Fischer in Danville, and the Lorraine in Hoopeston. Good luck to the Soy Capital folks on the tough decisions they must make.
~ Jason Pankoke
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