posted June 15, 2011 10:43 AM                   

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The Detroit Theater in closed its doors earlier this year after having been a Lakewood staple since 1924. Now, the old building is facing the prospect of being razed to make way for a new McDonald's fast food restaurant.

Multiple sources report that McDonald's is nearing a deal that would see it purchase the Detroit Theater building for about $700,000. Not everyone is happy about the developments, but Mayor Michael Summers says that there is little the city can do:

“The fact is that in this country when an owner of private property chooses to sell, and the zoning code — which controls what happens on that property — says that a buyer who has a use that’s permitted shows up, frankly, there’s nothing we can do to stop that.

If we were in fact to say ‘no, no, no, you can’t do it,’ when in fact the zoning code says you can, we’d very likely be sued — and we’d very likely lose that suit.”

Nevertheless, Lakewood residents will at least get an opportunity to be heard, as city officials are hosting a forum this evening to address resident concerns. The forum is being held at 7pm on Wednesday and the Lakewood Public Library, and a developer will also be on hand to answer questions.

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