Much of Baltimore's 112-year-old Mayfair Theatre will be demolished, according to the Baltimore Sun, because its presence on North Howard Street is a public safety hazard.

There had been hope that the theatre, which seated 1,600, could be saved, but damage, including a collapsed roof, is too severe. The ornate building, which housed vaudeville, legitimate theatre and film (1941-86), has been vacant for more than a dozen years. The theatre's façade as well as part of the front lobby, however, will be preserved.

Kimberly Clark, executive vice president of the Baltimore Development Corporation, hopes whatever new building is eventually erected on the site will incorporate the Mayfair façade. Johns Hopkins, who is the executive director of Baltimore Heritage, a preservation group, also said he has “full confidence that the front can become part of a new development in that setting.”