don't forget: charrette on flower theatre tomorrow

The Flower Theatre today. Photo from Google Street View.

For decades, the Flower Theatre in Long Branch entertained generations of Silver Spring residents eager to see the latest films. In recent years, however, the Art Deco-style movie house has sat vacant and may need substantial funding to be usable again.

How can we bring the Flower Theatre back to life? Tomorrow, we'll get to explore this issue at a community charrette hosted by Fenton Street Market.

A charrette is a sort of planning workshop where people craft a vision for the future of a space. At our charrette, we'd like to create an "inventory" of community wants and needs and explore how the Flower Theatre could be repurposed to meet them. We've also invited local architects, planners and community leaders to offer their thoughts and expertise.

Like previous charrettes held at Fenton Street Market, we'll have a big tent with tables, chairs and lots of markers. You'll be able to stop in throughout the day to offer your perspective and suggestions. Our goal? To develop viable solutions for the Flower Theatre that could be implemented either now or in the future.

If that sounds good to you, please join us at Fenton Street Market on Saturday, August 4 from 10am to 1pm. The market is located in Veterans Plaza at the corner of Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive in downtown Silver Spring. You can also read more on the charrette and the Flower Theatre's history.

We're looking forward to a great discussion and many great ideas at the charrette. In the meantime, what would you like to see done with the Flower Theatre?