Still standing

Just as it has for the lifetime of every local resident, the old Capitol Theatre in downtown Hartley continues to stand sentinel over South Central Avenue.

City officials are still hoping that changes, too.

Updates on the decrepit property have been few and far between over the past year. According to City Administrator Erica Haack, the council is still planning to knock the building down; however, making that a reality has been easier said than done.

"There are no updates on the old theater currently," she said. "We do not have any definitive plans for the property right now, but would be open to private or public development on the site [after demolition]."

The city has owned the building since October of 2020 after acquiring it from Dwight and Darla Jacobs, of Spirit Lake. The arrangement ended months of legal wrangling, which began in 2019 after the council declared the dilapidated former theater a dangerous building on the advice of O'Brien County Environmental Health Specialist Jonathon Hintz.

With no options for restoration, the council decided a date with the wrecking ball was the city's only option.

Progress has since slowed. The city in 2021 applied for funding through the Iowa DNR's Derelict Building Grant Program, but was rejected. Hartley did not apply for the grant last year.

"We do plan on applying for the grant again in the future," Haack said. "We understand it is a very competitive grant among small towns in Iowa."

Demolition costs have been estimated at $140,000-$170,000, which includes asbestos abatement. The theatre was built in 1925 and has a deteriorated roof, extensive interior water damage and mold issues.

If the Hartley council decides to re-apply for the DNR grant and is awarded funds, the money could be used on building inspection costs, asbestos abatement and demolition expenses, depending on how the DNR designates the award.