The threat of demolition of the Riverdale Cinedome 70 theater has inspired a Facebook petition to save the long-vacant building -- and sparked memories from local residents about the two-screen cinema's glory days.

"I wanted to make sure the Cinedome didn't go out quietly, if it went out at all," said Allen Glines, 23, of Ogden. He started an online campaign, "Save Cinedome 70," which has gathered more than 5,000 members in the past two weeks.

The 3.6 acre property at 1481 W. Riverdale Road -- 33 miles north of Salt Lake City, where two highways converge -- is under contract to the Larry H. Miller Group. A company official confirmed the property is being considered as a location for a car dealership.

When the Cinedome 70, a 26,000 square-foot building, opened in 1970 it boasted of cutting-edge technology. The twin theaters had 70-foot curved screens, the largest in Utah, as well as surround sound, stadium seating, and projectors that screened 70-millimeter film.

In addition, the theater has a backstory that sounds like the stuff of a Hollywood weepie.

It was built by the Tullis family, who operated it until 1985, Nancy Tullis said. Tullis said her husband's family had been in the theater business since 1946, also operating the Riverdale Drive-in, the first of its kind in the state.

The family traveled to the West Coast to find a model for the two-domed buildings, which are connected by a large lobby area that could fit 800 people. Aside from the architect, the building was built by Nancy's husband, Darrell, and her brother-in-law Ray Hansen. "It was a miracle it came about in the first place," Tullis said of the Cinedome 70. "We were not people with large amounts of money."

In 1975, the two builders and owners died in a small airplane accident, a major blow to the family and their business. Nancy and her sister-in-law ran both theaters for the next 10 years.

In 1985, as it became more difficult for independent operators to compete again multiplex chains, the family made the decision to lease the property. The building, which Tullis considers an area landmark, has been empty since 2001, and was sold in 2003. Demotion would be sad, "but we are realistic in knowing that it would take someone with a lot of capital to restore it," she said.

Renovating the building into a community center is one of the optimistic ideas suggested by Glines and other group members, who like to recount the movies they watched in that building, but that might prove difficult.

The building doesn't meet city codes, contains asbestos, and was labeled "blighted" by third-party consultants five years ago, said Riverdale's community development administrator Randy Daily.

If the owners sell the property, which is zoned for commercial use, that's a private matter, and the city doesn't have any legal standing to stop it, Riverdale City Administrator Larry Hansen said.

Ray Francis, LHMG's executive vice president of operations, confirmed the company is interested in acquiring the property for a car dealership, and that the condition of the Cinedome might lead to its demolition.

"If we do purchase the property, there are some things that we are looking at doing that would allow the memories of the Cinedome to remain," Francis said. "But that's hard for me to comment on because that's still not our property."

As long as the building stands, Glines says, he and other local residents will keep fighting to save it.