Iowa City leaders are stepping forward to help save an historic downtown theatre. Mayor Ernie Lehman says council members propose buying the Englert Theatre to give a citizens group more time to raise the money they need to buy and preserve the aging structure.Members of the citizens’ group want to turn the 88-year-old Englert into a community theatre. Dick Summerwill is a member of the Englert Coalition and he praises the city’s actions.The Englert Coalition has to raise nearly one-million dollars to buy the building back from the city. The original deadline was last week. The city council is expected to approve the purchase of the theatre this week.