News Article: Outdoor Theater May Be Erected South of Hurley The possibility that an outdoor drive - in theater may be opened this summer near the south city limits of Hurley adjacent to highway US-51 was revealed at the meeting of the Hurley city council last night. James Kevan, 340 East Arch street, Ironwood, appeared before the council and requested the lease of five acres of city land for a three-year period for the purpose of constructing the theater. The council granted his request by unanimously adopting a motion made by Alderman Frank DiUlio that the lease be granted under the conditions that Kevan will be fully responsible for all public liability insurance and shall file the insurance policy with the city clerk and that the city may cancel the lease on 30 days notice if the land is needed for city purposes. Kevan will be required to pay $250 a year for the lease. It was pointed out by Kevan and Alderman Leopold Calvetti that Kevan must obtain a permit from the state highway department before he may proceed with construction of the theater. Kevan said he will be responsible for all improvements to the property and will erect a building to house the movie projector and also a tower for the screen which will be 24 feet square. He said the theater, if erected, will be operated only in the summer and will close early in October. He informed the council that he hopes to begin work on the theater as soon as he obtains permission from the highway department. (Ironwood Daily Globe 6/15/50)

News Article: Council Agrees To Reconsider Theater Lease - Although no formal action was taken, the Hurley city council last night agreed to reconsider its action of last week in granting a lease for the use of city owned land for the operation of an outdoor drive-in theater. The verbal agreement was reached after the council had heard an attorney representing the Ironwod-Hurley Amusement Corp. make an appeal for such action. At its meeting June 14 the council voted to grant a three-year lease to five acres of city and near the south city limits to James Kevan, 340 East Arch street, Ironwood. Kevan told the council he wished to construct an outdoor theater on the property, which is adjacent to US-51. OBJECTIONS GIVEN - Last night the attorney for the Amusement Corp. said the firm was opposed to granting of the lease on the grounds that operation of the outdoor theater would seriously effect the business of the Range Theater in Hurley. He said the Range is now operating at a loss and declared that if the outdoor theater is opened the Range will be forced to close with the result that Hurley residents who are employed there would be put out of work. He also contended that the outdoor theater would create new traffic and police problems which would increase city expenditures. He asked that the council consider the matter "as a business proposition" and invited the aldermen to "take a look at the books" of the Range theater. Alderman Jerry Hughes said he thought the council "did work a little fast" in granting the lease last week and said he agreed with the attorney that the matter should be reconsidered. TO HEAR OTHERS - It was generally agreed that the council couldn't do anything on the matter last night. Alderman Edwin J. Sybeldon asserted that a "postponement would be the most favorable way to handle it" and he suggested that other interested persons and organizations especially the Hurley Chamber of Commerce, be given an opportunity to express their opinions on the matter. Mayor Peter J. DeRubeis agreed that others should be given opportunity to be heard and said he would call a special meeting of the council if the matter "is big enough." It was pointed out by Alder- man Leopold Calvetti that Kevan has not yet obtained a permit from the state highway department to erect the theater and said he understood it is "going to "be awfully hard to get." The aldermen adopted a motion made by Alderman Bernard Barrett that the council go on record that it had held the objections of the attorney for the Amusement Corp. (Ironwood Daily Globe 6/22/50)

News Article: Drive-In Theatre Opens Saturday - Although not entirely completed, the Ironwood Amusement Corporation's drive-in theatre on US-2 in the Reno location will open tomorrow night, O. Surprenant, manager of the coproration, announced today. The box office will be open at 6:30. The theatre will accommodate approximately 400 cars and will be managed by Charles Lewinski of the Rex theatre. The screen measures 36 feet in height, 45 feet in width and is mounted on a tower that is 60 feet high, assuring all patrons of the theatre a good view. Cars will be serviced by individual speakers which have their own volume controls. There are seven miles of underground wire installation in the speaker hook-up. Car ushers will service each car with admission tickets so that the occupants need not leave the automobiles for this purpose in arriving at the theatre, Trained ushers will direct the cars to their stalls on arrival and to the exits on departure. A concrete-block building housing the projection room, concession stand and rest rooms is in the center of the theatre area. The new theatre is modern throughout and conforms to the most advanced type of constuction and accommodations for theatres of this type, the management points out. Work on the details yet to be finished will be continued for the next two or three weeks. The management has estimated that the cost of the project will total approximately $50,000. The opening feature will be "I'll Get By", starring June Haver, William Lundigan, Dennis Day and Gloria DeHaven. Two color comedies are also on the program. "The management hopes the residents of this community and district will enjoy it and also would appreciate receiving any suggestions for improvements of the services", said Surprenant. (Ironwood Daily Globe 5/29/52)

News Article: What's Missing? - Spectators gather around the site of the Ironwood outdoor theater after the storm that swept through the region Tuesday afternoon. The high velocity winds toppled the screen and tumbled some playground equipment. The screen was up in the early 1950s. (Ironwood Daily Globe 5/22/74)

News Article: BIG SCREEN GOES UP - Workers are shown installing a new $12,000 motion picture screen at the Ironwood Drive-In Theatre Friday. The drive-in opened Saturday night for the first time in over a year. The new screen was built on the ground, lifted into place and welded to its foundation. The structure is made of steel and is far stronger than the old wooden screen which blew down in a windstorm. (Ironwood Daily Globe 5/27/75)

Update: Closed prior to 1988. (Michigandriveins.com 6/9/03)

Update: From the 1999 Terra-Server aerial shot, the Ironwood Drive-In appears to be have displaced by a mall of some sort. (Michigandriveins.com 4/11/04)

Update: Gone, now a K-Mart. (Waterwinterwonderland.com 1/6/03)

Update: The drive-in was replaced by a shopping plaza, anchored by K-Mart, JC Penny, and Carlson's supermarket (an Ironwood institution-that has since gone the way of the buffalo.) Other stores in the shopping plaza include(d) Michael's shoes, a Dollar Store, Dunham's Sports, and an On Cue music store. Carlson's sold out to County Market, then closed up shop and it turned into a Super One. I only vaguely remember seeing a movie there when I was very young. (Stephen Lauzon 4/9/06)