Union Theaters

Jerseygirl4159 on February 20, 2006 at 8:04 am

I remember going to this theater in the late 70’s/early 80’s and I believe at the time it was a twin. I thought there were only 4 screens in there at present; however, I cannot fathom where they could have possible fit 7 screens in this place.

teecee on August 31, 2005 at 12:51 pm

July 4, 2005 photo:
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teecee on July 5, 2005 at 12:11 pm

The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), April 9, 1998 p045
Union theater gets new look at 75. (UNION)
Byline: Christopher M. Loder

A downtown movie theater in Union Township turns 75 years old this year, and its new owners are extending its life by giving it a facelift.

The father-son team of Spiros and Stefan Papas bought the Union Theatres on Stuyvesant Avenue from Cineplex Odeon in December and is pouring at least $600,000 into renovations.

Major improvements include increasing the number of screens, from two to seven, and adding such offerings as gourmet coffee, cotton candy and more comfortable seats.

“We’re looking to attract family-type entertainment,” Stefan Papas said yesterday. “We’re a smaller operation, not like Sony Theaters, and we’re looking to be a hometown-type of theater.” Local officials believe the theater upgrade will result in a positive domino effect on businesses in downtown Union Center.

“It’s going to obviously bring additional traffic to the center and increase the nighttime business,” said Michael Minitelli, director of economic development and the special improvement district for Union.

Minitelli called the massive multiplex theaters on the highway “consumer unfriendly,” and added that the new Union theater will aid such businesses as Van Gogh’s Ear Cafe and the Sports Section Cafe.

“If it brings more people, I know it would be good for us,” said Lou Crescenzi, an employee of Van Gogh’s, a restaurant and coffeehouse down the street from the theater. “Anybody that walks by has a better chance of walking in than if they are not here.”

Papas and his father own the Pascack Theatre in Westwood, Valleyview Cinema in Wayne and the Lincoln Cinemas in Arlington.

He said Cineplex Odeon gave him and his father a choice to buy either the Cranford, Millburn or Union theaters.

“We bought Union because of the town,” Papas said. “We love the way they are fixing up the sidewalks and the stores.”

When he first saw the theater, Papas could not believe what he saw. The heating and air conditioning systems were lousy, he said, and the seats and sound system were bad.

The improved theater will have rocking lounger seats like the ones in bigger theaters, digital surround sound in all seven auditoriums, and a birthday party room. It will be fully accessible for the disabled and include listening devices for the hearing-impaired.

The theater is closed during the renovations, and the grand opening is expected to be held within a month.

Papas promised the new Union theater will not be like bigger chains on the highway.

“It’s just like an airport when you enter those theaters,” he said. “You don’t get a movie atmosphere. You get a feeling that they’re moving people in and out like cattle.”

Article CJ81718602

teecee on June 13, 2005 at 11:25 am

Built in 1926. Purchased by Spiros and Stefan Papas from Odeon in 1998:

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