What does the future hold of the ‘Hollywood’?

An iconic downtown structure with a glitzy name and historical cultural value could someday turn into a game-changing project.

The “Hollywood Ballroom,” which started proudly as a theater in the 1940s (hence the name), was transformed into a health center featuring racquetball courts, and has hosted bands and dances, has quietly sat deserted and dark, void of little if any traffic, for decades. From a grand beginning, the building is now nothing more than a storage space.

When and if the building’s script is re-written is anyone’s guess, but there have been discussions about its future.

Can the structurally-sound building once known to be a regional attraction be saved and brought back to life? Will there come a time when it is filled with tenants? And if so, what will it take to rescue and rejuvenate the privately-owned structure that Gene Autry once graced with his presence?

See more in this week’s paper!