Say goodbye to the structure once known as the Dearborn Theater.

The former site of Wendy's Hamburgers (foreground) was razed earlier this year for a yet-to-be-built Sonic burgers. Demolition of the Dearborn Theater (background) is now underway.

The building that was once home to first-run motion picture films on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn is in the process of being demolished to make way for a Hampton Inn hotel, if all goes according to plan.

Progress? Yes, considering the economic climate. And perhaps having two quality hotels within a block of each other (a new Holiday Inn Express, just west of the proposed Hampton, appears to be on the homestretch towards completion) might put some pressure on the Red Roof Inn, on the north side of Michigan, to upgrade its facility.

Growing up here, Dearborn Theater was one of the two key theaters on Michigan Avenue we visited as kids. The other was the Calvin Theater (my personal favorite), which was torn down long ago after a fire ripped through it only to be replaced with Buddy’s Pizzeria.

We have lost track of how many years it has been since downtown west Dearborn has been without a movie house or any other kind of non-eating or drinking entertainment venue (we aren’t counting the mega AMC Star at Fairlane). My father’s unsolicited assessment of our downtown, which he provides to me each time I drive him down Michigan Avenue, probably sums it up best: “It’s a shame.”

Dearborn developer Hakim Fakhoury did present plans several years ago to our City Council and Mayor for a theater to go into the space currently occupied by the decaying white brick building that once housed a Vic Tanny. For a host of reasons, those plans never took root. But as Dearborn talked and talked about it, nearby Royal Oak did it, landing an Emagine Entertainment near the corner of 11 Mile and Main Street, on the north edge of Royal Oak’s popular downtown area. (See earlier story, HERE.)

By the end of this summer, a new Sonic burgers will go in at the corner of Michigan and Telegraph. With the demolition of the Dearborn Theater, the burger joint will get a lot more visibility. Just when construction on a Hampton Inn might take place is anyone’s guess. The developer for the proposed Hampton Inn is Ned Hakim and right now he has his hands full getting his Holiday Inn Express readied for travelers.