Not every old building is built to deserve a second coming.

The natural cycle of urban development most often involves removing the old to make room for the new. The more robust a community's economy, the more pressure there is to get rid of the structures of the past so that new facilities can meet modern needs and, more times than not, generate more income for its owner.

Communities need new development. It moves them toward a brighter future rather than anchoring them to the past. But, there are exceptions, buildings with such impressive architecture or community connection -- or both -- that to see them demolished would leave an emotional scar.

The trick to saving old, significant structures is making them relevant to today's needs. Many properties have disappeared from the landscape because no contemporary use could be discovered. We think of places like the old Oklahoma Row hotel tower at Monte Ne, on the shore of Beaver Lake, that maintain a strong connection to a colorful past, but can find no significance in the modern setting. And so it sits, an abused property now barricaded behind a chain-link fence.

Other properties fare better. Take the former Meteor Theater (also known for a time as the Plaza Theater) in downtown Bentonville. Built just a few years after the turn of the century -- from 19th to 20th -- it sat idle for years, used for storage. In 2013, Les Key decided to make his dream of owning a music shop a reality and married that desire with a plan for restoring the old theater.

He and his family have been busy renovating the theater into a music store, performance venue and museum. It includes a 300-seat auditorium where Key hopes to see local musicians play. The building's owner, the Ferguson family, devoted resources to renovating the exterior a few years ago.

It's no accident a theater would attract someone ready to renovate. Theaters are social gathering spots where people in communities come together to experiences thrills, laughter and tears. Find a old theater in any town and you'll also find people with stories to tell.

It's happening, too, in Springdale. Longtime residents Brian Moore and Tom Lundstrum purchased the former theater at 308 W. Emma Ave. with a goal of renovating the Springdale landmark. In the months leading to the purchase, city officials had discussed tearing down the property because of its deteriorated condition. The men hope renovation and finding a current use for the structure will help bolster community efforts to revitalize downtown.

Fayetteville's Ozark Theater once faced the wrecking ball but today is a renovated office space. Rogers' Victory Theater, which opened in 1927, is used for live performances today after its purchase by the city as a long-term home for the Rogers Little Theater.

The more recent news involving the Apollo Theater provides evidence that revitalization efforts for Springdale's downtown are having some success. It's great to see these meaningful old structures finding second lives in service to the communities they've been part of for decades.

Our kudos to those who believe the easiest path -- demolition and replacement -- isn't always the best path.