Bidding is open to purchase the historic Boyne Theater in downtown Boyne City.
Boyne City Main Street is actively seeking potential buyers for the landmark building, which originally opened as the Bellamy Opera House in the early 1900s before later becoming the Boyne Theater. Boyne City Main Street has posted a request for proposals to attract developers or community-minded investors interested in restoring the structure and returning it to productive use.
The organization’s executive director Ingrid Day said RFPs will be accepted through July 15.
Boyne City Main Street became the owner of the property in 2020 as a way to help facilitate the bid process. Day, her colleagues and members of the organization’s board spent the last few months addressing issues like safety and structural issues before listing the property.
The Main Street board, which operates autonomously from the Boyne City Commission, approved the RFP process in early May.
“We have made the RFP very open-ended, which is intentional,” Day said. “(The building) really functions as multi-purpose event space.”
The theater has remained largely dormant for years, despite multiple redevelopment discussions and community interest in preserving the downtown icon. Boyne City Main Street purchased the building in 2020 for $350,000 with plans to eventually rehabilitate the historic venue. At the time, organizers estimated the restoration could cost more than $2 million and take several years to complete.
The organization’s website describes the theater as a surviving piece of Boyne City history with its original stage still intact after more than a century. The marquee remains one of downtown’s most recognizable features, and many residents have expressed hopes the building could once again serve as an entertainment or community gathering space.
One section of the RFP requires applicants to indicate how they would plan to use the building. Boyne City Main Street reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals based on proposed usage. As a result, the highest bid does not guarantee a winning bid.
“We would prefer the property remain a theater or event space, but it would be up to the (winning bidder),” Day said.
The future of the theater comes at a time when Northern Michigan communities are increasingly focusing on historic preservation and downtown redevelopment projects designed to boost tourism, arts programming and economic activity. Day said the winning bidder would need to spend some money to renovate the existing building since it has been vacant for so long. Portions of the theater have been removed and any retrofits would need to adhere to updated building codes related to issues such as fire suppression, HVAC and more.
“It’s a great old property and location,” Day said. “It’s a great opportunity.”
Learn more at boynecitymainstreet.com to find out about the RFP process.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Will the show go on? Historic Boyne Theater up for sale
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
