The Olympia theater, which the city of Miami is considering turning over to a charter school, was originally designed and built in 1926 as a spectacular silent-movie palace.
Over the decades, it would come to be regarded as Miami’s Carnegie Hall — a cherished venue for live performances by legendary stars such as the Marx Brothers and Elvis Presley, who gave 15 sold-out concerts there in 1956. But it’s been in disrepair for years and rarely used.
Under a proposed transfer, the city would give the Olympia’s 10-story building, which needs some $30 to $40 million in repairs, to Sports Leadership Arts Management public charter school in exchange for a renovation commitment. The proposal could finally produce progress in reviving the theater but many details remain murky. City commissioners on Thursday deferred discussion until July 24…