The
Friends of the Alger Theater is a non-profit, community-based organization
comprised of neighborhood residents and businesses, and other committed
friends, all of whom are dedicated to preserving the Alger Theater and
creating a viable Performing Arts Community Center for the cultural
enrichment of a diverse population residing in and visiting the Detroit
metropolitan region.
Built in 1935 and commanding a presence
at East Outer Drive and East
Warren Avenues in the City of Detroit, the Alger Theater is emblematic
of the vitality, prosperity, and quality of life that our Detroit neighborhood
enjoyed at one time. Having adapted to the many and varied socioeconomic
changes over the course of nearly fifty years, the Alger Theater changed
ownership and purposes a number of times, but eventually closed to the
public in 1985. Recognizing the need to actively change the course of
our neighborhood and the Alger Theater, concerned citizens formed the
Friends of the Alger Theater and through hard work and extensive fundraising
purchased the Alger Theater building in December, 1986.
As
owners of the Alger Theater, the Friends' goals are now to refurbish
and reopen the Alger as a performing arts community center and in the
process serve as a catalyst for the continuous revitalization of the
surrounding neighborhoods and businesses by stimulating local economic
activity . The Friends believe that by providing quality entertainment
and acting as a resource for community gatherings, a restored Alger
will improve the quality of life in the East
Side Detroit neighborhoods of which it is a part.