Nearly six years ago, I remember standing on the sidewalk in front of the historic Pikes Theatre on a chilly afternoon with about 40 politicians and community leaders. So many people were gathered at this ribbon-cutting ceremony that a few of us almost backed off the curb and into oncoming traffic along Reisterstown Road in “downtown” Pikesville.
The occasion was the grand reopening of the Art Deco-style movie house as an “independent boutique theater.” The Pikes, which originally opened in 1938, had just undergone an extensive renovation and would now be operated by the Reisterstown-based NextAct Cinema.
A genuine sense of optimism and joy filled the air. “[The Pikes] will be the focal point of entertainment and dining in this area,” said David Uhlfelder, of what was then known as the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce (now the Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce), to the assembled. “This will be the center of the wheel for this corridor, and we’re looking forward to your success.”…