Restored West Duluth theaters face closure amid financial strain

Two restored West Duluth movie theaters that once stood as signs of revival on Central Avenue are now facing the possibility of closure as financial pressure deepens. The West Theatre, the art deco building at the center of Bob Boone’s restoration effort, defaulted on more than $1 million in mortgage loans in November 2023, and the property changed hands in March 2026 while the former owner challenged the foreclosure.

The stakes in West Duluth reach well beyond one business balance sheet. If the theaters go dark again, the neighborhood would lose a visible anchor for foot traffic, live entertainment and local arts, just as Central Avenue has been trying to build momentum around restored commercial buildings and neighborhood institutions. In practical terms, the dispute now puts lenders, city officials and preservation backers in position to decide whether the buildings can be stabilized, sold to new operators or left to slide back into vacancy.

The West Theatre has been through that arc before. It opened on Dec. 25, 1937, with 497 seats, later closed in 1966, then reopened after decades in the dark. Boone brought it back to life in June 2019, and a local report in 2021 put the renovation bill at about $1.5 million. The theater’s history underscores the central problem facing restored landmarks: the cost of bringing a building back is only the first hurdle. Staffing, maintenance, loan payments and the need to keep drawing audiences can overwhelm a project long after the ribbon cutting.

Boone’s broader plan stretched beyond one screen. He bought the Alhambra Theater at 321 N. Central Ave. in summer 2018 while still restoring the West Theatre, with the idea that the two venues could work together as a two-screen entertainment district. In January 2023, the Duluth Economic Development Authority approved a $150,000 grant tied to a $200,000 loan for work at the Alhambra, including heating and air-conditioning installation, new projection equipment, carpeting and a replica of the historic theater sign.

That financing helped advance the restoration, but it also showed how dependent the project was on outside support. West Duluth got a pair of renovated theaters and a promise of more art and entertainment on Central Avenue, yet the current financial strain has made clear that preservation and profitability do not always move together. Now the question is whether the buildings can hold on to their role in the neighborhood before the comeback story becomes another long vacancy.