Night and Day at the Terrace Theater
Designed by noted movie theater architects Liebenberg and Kaplan, the Terrace Theater in Robbinsdale opened in 1951. The theater operated for almost fifty years on a hill above Crystal Lake. Sadly it’s been shuttered now for over a decade. There are at least two groups of locals on facebook that are trying to brainstorm ways to save the old movie palace. If you have any ideas you can bring them to the following groups and pages on facebook.
Renovate the Terrace
Save The Terrace Theater
You can also bring your knowledge to bear by contributing information to to this google doc:
Renovate the Terrace
If you’re lacking a a sense of urgency, take a look at the photos below. The black and white ones were taken in the 1950′s and 60′s. The color shots of the interior are from 2003.
The Terrace is hardly a cause celeb, but I imagine there are at least a few thousnad old Northsiders with fond memories that would hate to see the place torn down. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota listed the building as one of it’s 10 Most Endangered back in 2003. The site has been the focus of a variety redevelopment proposals over the years, but demolition of the Terrace seems almost inevitable. I’m actually surprised that North Memorial Hospital hasn’t purchased the place and renovated it as an office/auditorium complex. Over the past twenty years or so the medical center has managed to incorporate the old Montgomery Ward Department Store Building, the adjacent Terrace Mall, a church and a city street. Why not a movie theater?
