EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) _ The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana is planning a series of public forums starting in September to hear from neighbors, artists and community members whether it should purchase a historic movie house in Evansville.

The Evansville Courier & Press reports (http://bit.ly/1PdN41L ) the forums along with signing an option to purchase the Alhambra Theatre this past May are the first formal steps in evaluating whether the Arts Council conditions for purchase can be met.

The theater is owned by a nonprofit organization that purchased the theater from the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana in 2003. The Arts Council will further evaluate the cost of moving into the site after it conducts its public forums.