Newsday Classic Edition for January 23, 1951 arrived today. According to the Movie Timetable the St. James was still open then. The movie, The West Point Story with two evening performances.
Don’t know what it cost to build but it was sold in 1929 for between $35,000 and $40,000. Before the fire the asking price was 14 million. Talk about appreciation, or it is greed.
According to Wikipedia the Westcott is housed in a building which was erected in 1919. Also, from another source, there was an extensive renovation of the venue before it reopened as a performing arts center.
The Sag Harbor Partnership purchased the cinema for 8 million dollars in January 2018. This was made possible in part by a 1.5 million dollar grant from the state. In October 2018 the restored sign was illuminated (see uploaded photo). It is hoped that the 6 million dollar renovation will be completed this year.
At the beginning of negotiations the leasing agent wanted Regal to also upgrade the facade of the balance of the stores in the Plaza. Time will tell if that happens or whether the theater actually gets built.
Will history repeat itself? Regal has announced they plan to open a ten screen theater on the site of the former Walmart at Riverhead Plaza in Riverhead. This time, they plan on tearing down the Walmart and erecting a free standing structure. At the Sunrise Mall I believe they would have had to modify the actual Walmart space since there was really no room on the site for another structure and still have adequate parking.
Last time there was a date for the coming theater on the Regal site but no signage at the Sunrise Mall and no theater materialized. This time there is signage at the Riverhead Plaza but nothing on the Regal site. And we won’t even discuss the more than six month delay of the opening of the new Lynbrook theater beyond the original projected date.
Regal had announced a date when they would have a presence at the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, presumably in the space vacated by Walmart since there was really no room for a free standing building. They didn’t follow through on that. They must have realized that the area was already saturated with two multiplexes in nearby Farmingdale. The closest theaters to Riverhead now are Westhampton Beach, probably eight miles, and Mattituck and Hampton Bays which would be further.
After some years of negotiations Riverhead will, once again, have a dedicated movie theater. A section of the Riverhead Plaza will be demolished and a free standing, 10 screen, Regal Theater, seating 1,490, will be erected. Two things allowed this to happen: zoning was changed to permit erection of a theater on other than Main Street (location of the Suffolk and the former, demolished Riverhead) and Walmart relocated offering up a large space with ample parking at the Riverhead Plaza. The signage is up announcing the coming theater but no date has been announced and no demolition has begun.
As an aside, Peconic Bay Medical Center leases a section of the parking lot for its employees and buses them to their facility some distance away. Wonder how that will play out.
I don’t see what the big deal is with recliners. I’d just as soon see most movies on my home TV when they become available for less money and be able to sit in my PJs and eat my own snacks rather than having somebody running around serving food while I’m trying to watch the movie. Plus, I wouldn’t have to drive 15 miles to the closest theater. Ah, for the good old days when each community had it’s own theater and you could walk to it.
The double shooting was something Frank Sinatra objected to on some other film. He maintained he was to be making two films and should be paid accordingly. Don’t remember the film he turned down or what the second process was.
The performance space is known at the Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at CM Performance Arts Center. As part of an article on handicap accessibility the December 16, 2018 LI Life Section of Newsday had a picture of the interior of the theater. Traditional theater seats (probably the original) are on the left side. The balance of the space is cabaret style, hence, readily accessible.
Last reference I found on this was that, in June 2018, the Village Trustees had given the developer extended time to get the necessary permits. Due to some mumbo jumbo the original ones were no longer valid. Members of the Historical Society requested that the lobby portion be retained in the new structure to honor the history of the building.
This redevelopment is eventually going to equal the lead time for Long Island Rail Road access to Grand Central Terminal and completion of the Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan.
The building materials are still on the roof and the cracks in the facade facing Montauk Highway have not been corrected. However, they have applied some sort of undercoating on some of the exterior walls, there are two dumpsters with stuff in them and one can see a pile of rubble through one of the windows.
Once again closed for the winter; a combination of fewer people in a largely summer community and a heating system in need of replacement.
Although the address is Central Avenue the entrance is on Brandreth.
Uploaded pictures of the building and the rendering of the upgrade.
Uploaded a photo when it was called the Masonic Temple Theater.
The facade is prominently displayed in the new BP television ads.
Scott, any chance they have memorabilia from the theater?
All well and good but where are people supposed to park?
Newsday Classic Edition for January 23, 1951 arrived today. According to the Movie Timetable the St. James was still open then. The movie, The West Point Story with two evening performances.
Uploaded photo as the Blender.
Don’t know what it cost to build but it was sold in 1929 for between $35,000 and $40,000. Before the fire the asking price was 14 million. Talk about appreciation, or it is greed.
According to Wikipedia the Westcott is housed in a building which was erected in 1919. Also, from another source, there was an extensive renovation of the venue before it reopened as a performing arts center.
Just turned 100. Can’t be too many operating venues that can make that statement.
Uploaded photos from 1940 when fire gutted to the theater. When rebuilt additional length was added. Building is now 17 feet by 100 feet.
The Sag Harbor Partnership purchased the cinema for 8 million dollars in January 2018. This was made possible in part by a 1.5 million dollar grant from the state. In October 2018 the restored sign was illuminated (see uploaded photo). It is hoped that the 6 million dollar renovation will be completed this year.
At the beginning of negotiations the leasing agent wanted Regal to also upgrade the facade of the balance of the stores in the Plaza. Time will tell if that happens or whether the theater actually gets built.
Will history repeat itself? Regal has announced they plan to open a ten screen theater on the site of the former Walmart at Riverhead Plaza in Riverhead. This time, they plan on tearing down the Walmart and erecting a free standing structure. At the Sunrise Mall I believe they would have had to modify the actual Walmart space since there was really no room on the site for another structure and still have adequate parking.
Last time there was a date for the coming theater on the Regal site but no signage at the Sunrise Mall and no theater materialized. This time there is signage at the Riverhead Plaza but nothing on the Regal site. And we won’t even discuss the more than six month delay of the opening of the new Lynbrook theater beyond the original projected date.
Regal had announced a date when they would have a presence at the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, presumably in the space vacated by Walmart since there was really no room for a free standing building. They didn’t follow through on that. They must have realized that the area was already saturated with two multiplexes in nearby Farmingdale. The closest theaters to Riverhead now are Westhampton Beach, probably eight miles, and Mattituck and Hampton Bays which would be further.
After some years of negotiations Riverhead will, once again, have a dedicated movie theater. A section of the Riverhead Plaza will be demolished and a free standing, 10 screen, Regal Theater, seating 1,490, will be erected. Two things allowed this to happen: zoning was changed to permit erection of a theater on other than Main Street (location of the Suffolk and the former, demolished Riverhead) and Walmart relocated offering up a large space with ample parking at the Riverhead Plaza. The signage is up announcing the coming theater but no date has been announced and no demolition has begun.
As an aside, Peconic Bay Medical Center leases a section of the parking lot for its employees and buses them to their facility some distance away. Wonder how that will play out.
I don’t see what the big deal is with recliners. I’d just as soon see most movies on my home TV when they become available for less money and be able to sit in my PJs and eat my own snacks rather than having somebody running around serving food while I’m trying to watch the movie. Plus, I wouldn’t have to drive 15 miles to the closest theater. Ah, for the good old days when each community had it’s own theater and you could walk to it.
The double shooting was something Frank Sinatra objected to on some other film. He maintained he was to be making two films and should be paid accordingly. Don’t remember the film he turned down or what the second process was.
Newsday Movie Timetable in 1944 lists the theater as Williston Park, rightly or wrongly.
The performance space is known at the Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at CM Performance Arts Center. As part of an article on handicap accessibility the December 16, 2018 LI Life Section of Newsday had a picture of the interior of the theater. Traditional theater seats (probably the original) are on the left side. The balance of the space is cabaret style, hence, readily accessible.
Interior demolition has accelerated. There is now a chute from the building directly to a dumpster.
Last reference I found on this was that, in June 2018, the Village Trustees had given the developer extended time to get the necessary permits. Due to some mumbo jumbo the original ones were no longer valid. Members of the Historical Society requested that the lobby portion be retained in the new structure to honor the history of the building.
This redevelopment is eventually going to equal the lead time for Long Island Rail Road access to Grand Central Terminal and completion of the Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan.
Can’t really see, Mike. Only a little over the top and they are behind a chain link fence.
The building materials are still on the roof and the cracks in the facade facing Montauk Highway have not been corrected. However, they have applied some sort of undercoating on some of the exterior walls, there are two dumpsters with stuff in them and one can see a pile of rubble through one of the windows.