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'The Wolly,' Quincy landmark, may get a makeover

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 30, 2009 01:43 PM

(Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

Nothing was playing at the theater when a photographer stopped by in December -- and nothing had played there for years.

By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff

Quincy’s historic Wollaston Theater has been sold to Street-Works Development LLC, a New York-based firm that has plans to redevelop downtown Quincy.

The single-screen movie theater, known to locals as “The Wolly,” has been closed since 2003, and is in need of major repairs.

Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch requested that Street-Works purchase the aging building so it could be preserved, according to the mayor’s office. Koch said the deal will give some time for a nonprofit organization to raise money and secure grants to restore the theater.

“The real work begins now,” Koch said in a prepared statement. “We believe the potential is there to bring back The Wolly as a true gem for Wollaston and all of Quincy. But make no mistake, it is going to require a major communitywide effort to make this happen. And the nonprofit will be looking at every possible resource along the way.”

The nonprofit Wollaston Theater Foundation will also look at how the building can be used in the future, according to Koch's office. The mayor said the ultimate goal would be returning the theater to its original use, as a venue for movies, concerts, and stage productions. Koch tapped film producer Kris Meyer, a Quincy native, to help lead the efforts of the nonprofit group.

Built in 1926, the Wollaston Theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater was most recently owned and operated by Arthur Chandler. Chandler died last April. The deteriorating building has sat vacant for over five years, leaving many to wonder if it would ever reopen, or if it would eventually be demolished.

“The Wolly means a lot to the neighborhood, and it could be tremendous new asset to Wollaston Center," Ward 5 City Councilor Douglas Gutro said in a statement. "I look forward to working closely with the Mayor’s Office and the nonprofit on this project.”