Demolition begins of the Guild 45th movie theater

The pandemic has been tough on movie theaters — especially some of Seattle's beloved local ones.

What's happening: Late last week, demolition started on part of the Guild 45th. The Wallingford movie house closed in 2017 for renovation plans that never materialized.

• For decades, the theater was a flagship institution along 45th Street, with its signature marquee and quirky arrangement where its two screens were split between two non-contiguous buildings.

The latest: While many folks had hoped the theater might reopen, it was not meant to be. Excavators began tearing into one of the two theater buildings a few days ago.

• The Seattle Times reports that demolition will continue this week.

Meanwhile, the Cinerama in Belltown remains closed and it's not clear if it will reopen. It shut down for remodeling before the pandemic, but COVID-19 extended the closure indefinitely.

• A few weeks ago, Vulcan, which owns the Cinerama, said there was no news to share about the movieplex's future, The Puget Sound Business Journal reported.