Hoping Norshor Plans Work Out

After a long and varied history in Duluth the Norshor Theater is set to begin another chapter after the city council approved the 2.6 million dollar purchase of the theater and two adjacent buildings.  After starting as a live venue called the Orpheum in 1910, it was re-named the Norshor and converted into an art deco movie theater in the early 1940's.  It survived into the early 1980's when most downtown theaters, in Duluth and around the country, were replaced by the multiplex movie facilities we see today.  Since then, the building has fallen into disrepair and has seen several attempts to reopen as a live theater and independent movie house without much success.  Over the last several years it has survived as a strip club.  It would seem that deep pockets and lots of hard work will be needed to bring the facility back to its former glory but I hope it will happen.  During its prime, the Norshor was a real jewel and deserves a better fate than most of the other classic theaters that no longer exist.