Movie Theater Redevelopment Plan

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What exactly are we being asked to envision? Will the visioning sessions be limited to the two empty spaces on the ground level or focused on the entire redevelopment area? What is the time frame for this redevelopment? While this is a non-condemnation proposal, will it be a non-eviction proposal? The movie theater portion of that building is empty but there are still businesses on the floor above. Ditto for the offices above the bank portion of the Bank of America building. The other spaces in the designated area are occupied. What happens to them? Are we talking about long range planning as leases expire? While the buildings will continue to be owned by their existing owners, will there be a need for structural changes to any or all of the buildings? If so, will these changes be subject to building owner approval? Will there be assessments of property owners required for any physical changes to the buildings? Will building owners get to approve the reimagined use of their property?

Merriam-Webster recognizes visioning as either a noun, or a transitive verb.

From M-W:     A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object, which is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that follows the verb and completes the sentence's meaning by indicating the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. The direct object typically answers the question what? or whom?:  The kids like pickles. That really annoys me. Have they sold their house yet?

Here it’s millennial babble.

dickf3 said:

Merriam-Webster recognizes visioning as either a noun, or a transitive verb.

The notice used it as a noun, one that the OED dates to the 1,835th year of the previous millennium.

I just can’t visualize them knocking down the bank. If nothing else the bank should be left alone. We don’t need Parking decks and 50 foot buildings down town. 

Jaytee said:

I just can’t visualize them knocking down the bank. If nothing else the bank should be left alone. We don’t need Parking decks and 50 foot buildings down town. 

And just leave it vacant to preserve the building?

This whole redevelopment is very different than the post office.  There's no eminent domain - owners need to be onboard.

Right now - owners can pretty much knock down and do what they wish.

I do think we need more parking in town.  Yes, I know the rebuttals.  But the reason some places may be vacant is that potential renters may see this as a issue.  This is why Starbucks wasn't interested awhile back, I guess the redevelopment with the Clarus spurred their interest and proximity to the train station.

It's too bad the BOA lot isn't public.  I get it never was, but now the owner is more aggressive at enforcing this.

(ETA a screenshot.)

Looks like it was a great meeting with good participation. Thank you Jamie. Living in Maplewood forever I can remember as a young child attending the  Maplewood Theater. It was a live production of Humperdincks operetta Hansel and Gretel. I was thrilled.

L

Maybe someone can come up with a way to use the bank building. Restaurant? Art gallery?  Banks have been closing across the country and people reuse them just to preserve the structure. I would hate to see it demolished. Is Tony all ready to sell his properties? Will they keep the supermarket in the new build? 
I watched the video, thanks for sharing it, and it seems that people are not too excited about huge apartments and stores. I guess at the end of the day it’s the decision of the township that determines what happens. People really like the walk ability aspect of the town, they want their kids to experience what they did as kids growing up. How many towns have a downtown where kids walk around safely? I would even be happy with converting maplewood avenue into a pedestrian only mall from baker to Durand, with outdoor seating for restaurants. 

Jaytee said:

Maybe someone can come up with a way to use the bank building. Restaurant? Art gallery?  Banks have been closing across the country and people reuse them just to preserve the structure. I would hate to see it demolished. Is Tony all ready to sell his properties? Will they keep the supermarket in the new build? 
I watched the video, thanks for sharing it, and it seems that people are not too excited about huge apartments and stores. I guess at the end of the day it’s the decision of the township that determines what happens. People really like the walk ability aspect of the town, they want their kids to experience what they did as kids growing up. How many towns have a downtown where kids walk around safely? I would even be happy with converting maplewood avenue into a pedestrian only mall from baker to Durand, with outdoor seating for restaurants. 

Jaytee:  Sorry to be late to the table in this discussion.  Some the comments I see are months old. I watched Jamie's video, & my concern-o-meter has jumped to beyond RED ALERT.  

If the downtown area has been declared an Historic District, it may indeed NOT be up to the Township Comm. what can go in there -- or more importantly -- what can be destroyed or replaced.   Some people may like a "pedestrian area" downtown--crowded with "al fresco" diners, but it WILL require more parking options.  A parking deck may be in our future, but these have been added to towns like Milburn, Montclair & others quite success-fully -- without destroying the small-town feel of downtown.  Indeed, a blocks & blocks of Montclair's Bloomfield Ave district have been destroyed by wanton residential development --and even WITH a deck, parking continues to be a major hassle there.  

But it's usually worth it because of the beloved, invaluable Clairidge movie theater, which they've managed to keep going & even re- model once or more in recent years.  (What regular movie-goer hasn't suffered the agony of arriving for a highly anticipated "indie" movie at the Clairidge only to find it SOLD OUT"?  With the demise of "Robert's of Chatham",  we only need MORE movie theaters to meet our needs & scoop up those getting turned away from "The Clairidge.

I am nonplussed by the willingness of many residents to say goodbye to Maplewood's historic movie theater.  As was made clear in the meeting, the historic designation of the town on both the federal and state level does not prevent new owners from leveling structures.  A contingent of people feel that the need for more housing trumps historic considerations, another contingent is simply apathetic about the fate of the town's architecture. 

I understand the pessimism about whether the theater can be revived.  It's a shame that the Cinema Lab project didn't come to fruition.  But Cinema Lab is not the only business re-envisioning what a movie theater can be in a community. Yes, to Alama Drafthouse, yes to the Angelika, yes to Film Forum, yes to the amazing Jacob Burns film center in Pleasantville, NY, and yes to what AMC did in Essex Green.  The Maplewood Theater is too small scale to be of interest to AMC, but the concept of expanding what movie theaters can offer is what I'm talking about. 

This is our culture.  Why are parents content with their kids sitting inside their houses playing video games and posting on TikTok, never being exposed to the richness of international culture that films are so good at revealing?  The children in this town are the next generation of filmmakers, but to make movies, you should know movies.  Film education is not something that most parents can do by themselves.  Films are mind-expanding, but they have to be programmed, marketed, explained and widely discussed.  Do people really want to cede our culture to AI?  Because that's what will happen if classic films (by that term I mean all films created by human beings, not computer programs) are not cherished, promoted and passed on. 

The Maplewood Theater is listed on a website called Cinema Treasures:  https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2867/comments  I love this comment on that website about the exhibit on the Maplewood Theater that was featured at the Durand Hedden House some years ago: 

The original blueprints were found and used to build a three dimensional model of the auditorium. A Wurlitzer Style E Console (same as it originally had) was on display, with actual recordings of the organ from 1927 made by Edison Records and never released! The National Park Service had found them. The exhibit covered every decade, even the dark and dank 70’s and 80’s era… with a few highlights like when they managed to get Jaws and sell the place out every night. The theater manager in the 80’s saved the posters, including the Ghostbusters poster that hung out front for months. (Not a poster, THE poster from THIS theater). The best had to be the 1940’s when the theater brought back the lives shows and ran through a different show every week with A-names in the cast like Helen Hayes, Ethel Barrymore, Tallulah Bankhead, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Robeson, Teresa Wright (who lived in Maplewood!) among endless more. The climax was the first revival of the thus-far-failed Porgy and Bess where Cheryl Crawford cut down the opera into a musical which was moved to Broadway after leaving Maplewood. Amazingly, there were photographs of these productions from the Billy Rose Library… as well as huge clippings binders reviewing every show. The exhibit was simply everything this theater deserved and more.

Elle_Cee said:

I am nonplussed by the willingness of many residents to say goodbye to Maplewood's historic movie theater.  As was made clear in the meeting, the historic designation of the town on both the federal and state level does not prevent new owners from leveling structures.  A contingent of people feel that the need for more housing trumps historic considerations, another contingent is simply apathetic about the fate of the town's architecture. 

I understand the pessimism about whether the theater can be revived.  It's a shame that the Cinema Lab project didn't come to fruition.  But Cinema Lab is not the only business re-envisioning what a movie theater can be in a community. Yes, to Alama Drafthouse, yes to the Angelika, yes to Film Forum, yes to the amazing Jacob Burns film center in Pleasantville, NY ...

...and a big YES ... to the Clairidge in Montclair --especially for its mix of first-run crowdpleasers that draw revenue along with the top Indie films some of us crave, that have a smaller audience & which we'd never get to see otherwise w/o a train ride to NYC.

These are lovely long posts but no one went to the cinema when it was open and SOPAC barely stays afloat.  The market is gone.  Younger folks are not going to watch art films in anywhere near the numbers needed to keep a place like that going.

I agree about the Clairidge, too.  I was forced to join the Angelika this year (not a terrible fate) to get a half price Tuesday discount on the types of movies I want to see.  We saw the profoundly moving and unutterably horrific Zone of Interest, the wonderfully acid and hilarious American Fiction, and the disturbing and timely The Teacher's Lounge at the Angelika.  All great films.  

As rundown as the Maplewood Theater was, I was delighted to have a movie theater I could walk to, and we saw many good films there.  I moved to this town and our neighborhood in part because of the movie theater, the post office, the library, and the grocery store, all within walking distance.

Now that the Millburn Theater is no more, maybe the Maplewood Theater would have a better chance of drawing customers, and yes, the programming would have to be well balanced between crowd pleasers and more challenging films.  I would love to see one screen devoted to retrospective themes. 

We just watched Mads Mikkelsen's amazing film The Promised Land on AppleTV+.  I was dying to see it on the big screen, and even though it was being screened at the Angelika, it was only there two weeks and the screenings were extremely limited -- only matinees.  Watching it last night, I knew that as powerful as it is, it would have been doubly so on the big screen.  

DanDietrich said:

These are lovely long posts but no one went to the cinema when it was open and SOPAC barely stays afloat.  The market is gone.  Younger folks are not going to watch art films in anywhere near the numbers needed to keep a place like that going.

One reason no one went to the theater was that it was in terrible shape.  I'm not suggesting that the Maplewood Theater be resurrected as an art house, but it could be resurrected as a mixed used arts center that includes all sorts of attractions that would bring people of all ages to the town center, which would be a boon to restaurants and other businesses in town.  

Elle_Cee said:

As was made clear in the meeting, the historic designation of the town on both the federal and state level does not prevent new owners from leveling structures. 

I spent nearly three years as a member of the SO HIstoric Preservation Commission & was continually surprised & dismayed by the many, many different definitions of terms like "historic designation" & what they covered & didn't cover.  If a town has some designation  as "historic" and also a movie within its bounds with the documented, star-studded history of the Maplewood theater, why should ANYONE have the right to swagger in here & proceed to erase that building from the planet???

What got us through the mighty "Village Hall debate" in SO was that the EXTERIOR of the building was listed in the National Historic Register & therefore,  protected from any damage or change.  Not sure why the INTERIOR was not protected at the same time.  But I think what stands there now is in keeping with what those of us who have a vision of SO as a desirable, historic  place to live in & for others to visit to pay homage to our history.  I got nuthin' to explain what has happened and continues to happen in other projects around town.

DanDietrich said:

These are lovely long posts but no one went to the cinema when it was open and SOPAC barely stays afloat.  The market is gone.  Younger folks are not going to watch art films in anywhere near the numbers needed to keep a place like that going.

Don't they do that at the Clairidge?... and that place doesn't seem to be struggling.

Anyone know how much  the movie theater is on sale for?  I did a little research on commercial real estate - and found some interesting finds which I'll post in another thread,  But I didn't come across the movie theater.

Juniemoon said:

Don't they do that at the Clairidge?... and that place doesn't seem to be struggling.

Population. Parking. Membership program. A local university (with triple the enrollment of Seton Hall). A $100,000 annual donation from one resident couple named Colbert alone.

The differences seem noteworthy.

DanDietrich said:

These are lovely long posts but no one went to the cinema when it was open and SOPAC barely stays afloat.  The market is gone.  Younger folks are not going to watch art films in anywhere near the numbers needed to keep a place like that going.

I watched the 12pm screening of Dune Part Two at SOPAC yesterday with 5 other people. Every time I've gone to see a major movie, including Star Wars films, on the Thursday night preview night, the theater has been half-empty. It's crazy how few people go to the theater to see movies these days.

DaveSchmidt said:

Juniemoon said:

Don't they do that at the Clairidge?... and that place doesn't seem to be struggling.

Population. Parking. Membership program. A local university (with triple the enrollment of Seton Hall). A $100,000 annual donation from one resident couple named Colbert alone.

The differences seem noteworthy.

Yes, the Clairidge is a non-profit, sponsored by companies like Audible and JP Morgan. It's apples and (north of) oranges.

Setting aside South Orange, which has SOPAC and Cinema Labs, Millburn, population of about 21,000, has lost its small movie theater.  If you combine Millburn's population with Maplewood's roughly 25,000 residents, you get something in the neighborhood of Montclair's population.  There's a sufficiently high population around here to support another movie theater, if it's well designed, maintained, and its programming is creatively marketed and has a wide appeal.  Membership program is not a problem; one can be designed.  I don't know what to say about the university issue -- I'm not sure how big a problem that is.  As for people with money who could get behind the effort, I'm sure there are people here who would do it, but the venue should really be taken over by a nonprofit and grant applications should be made.  At the meeting on Thursday, which I attended, one woman mentioned that the Geffen Foundation provides grants to people resurrecting old theaters.  

The aforementioned Jacob Burns Film Center is also a nonprofit: 

https://burnsfilmcenter.org/about/

Elle_Cee said:

There's a sufficiently high population around here to support another movie theater, if it's well designed, maintained, and its programming is creatively marketed and has a wide appeal.

It’s a beautiful dream.

Ridski’s experience at SOPAC and mine every time I drive out to the AMC East Hanover, both perfectly fine and well-maintained spaces, suggest that the population is happy staying home.

ETA: Again, parking.

Why not start with the parking?  Leave the theater alone.  How about the lot at the corner of Baker and Maplewood Ave.  Couldn't a parking garage be built there? 

Perhaps there are too many AMC mega complexes.  I usually go to the AMC on US22 near Mountainside.  Can't say it's jam-packed when I go, but it's certainly not empty. 

I'm not proposing that the theater space be devoted solely to movies.  There's all sorts of programming that might attract the kids, especially since it's across from Starbucks {eyeroll}.  

Elle_Cee said:

Why not start with the parking?  Leave the theater alone.  How about the lot at the corner of Baker and Maplewood Ave.  Couldn't a parking garage be built there? 

Perhaps there are too many AMC mega complexes.  I usually go to the AMC on US22 near Mountainside.  Can't say it's jam-packed when I go, but it's certainly not empty. 

I'm not proposing that the theater space be devoted solely to movies.  There's all sorts of programming that might attract the kids, especially since it's across from Starbucks {eyeroll}.  

NJT owns that lot.

ridski said:

I watched the 12pm screening of Dune Part Two at SOPAC yesterday with 5 other people. Every time I've gone to see a major movie, including Star Wars films, on the Thursday night preview night, the theater has been half-empty. It's crazy how few people go to the theater to see movies these days.

Where would you go to even find out what was playing at SOPAC? The last time (and I mean the last time) I went to SOPAC was for Oppenheimer. The **** speaker was broken and dialog was distorted.

?  Cinema Lab has a good website.  Technical issues bedevil the SOPAC building.  There have even been problems at some of the music concerts I've attended.  https://sopac.cinemalab.com/now-playing

Terrible about the broken speaker.  Did you ask for your money back?

As of 2017, when SO was attempting to buy a lot from NJT, they were unable to get the transit company to agree.  Any idea why NJT is so reluctant to sell its parking lots?  Edited to add:  But I just saw this.  Looks like SO is moving ahead on a plan to buy a parking lot from NJT:  https://villagegreennj.com/development/south-orange-pursuing-agreement-with-njtransit-to-develop-parking-lot/

Movies --- great memories of when I was a 'ute. 

Summit, until 1950, had two movie houses. One on Maple St, which is now the Elks Club. And the Strand. Which is now, retail.

Millburn. Saturday matinees. For .25 you got 10 cartoons, a serial -Flash Gordon, Superman or whatever. With the serial, came a punch card. If you got all 10 holes punched, you got in free for one Saturday matinee. Then, two features. For .25, four hours, from 1 to 5.p.m. Now, I grant ya, .25 was worth .25 back then. Soda, popcorn and candy were a nickel. But still. .25.

And the place was always full on Saturday matinees.

Four hours --- it took me years to figure why my parents were interested in getting me out of the house for 4 hours --- but I digress.

Later, as a junior and senior in Millburn, my friends and I were hired as ushers in the Millburn. Of course, we got in free when we weren't on duty. I recall that many of the B movie (second features) were better than the main attraction. But that was my opinion. 

My uncle at that time had moved from Summit to California. He joined with a couple of friends from Summit and they produced a movie. It was a second feature at one of the Millburn shows. Now, I don't even recall the name of the film. The "star" had some recognition but I can't even recall her name. 

Saturdays were the best.  The pay as an usher was .50 an hour and all the popcorn you could eat. BUT after the matinee, you got to sweep the floor for the evening show and keep all the coins and sometimes dollars you found on the floor. Remember, this was Short Hills and those kids would drop dollars. We were from "South Millburn" and were lucky to see a dollar for anything when we were pre-teens.

Regular gas at the Hess station on Morris Ave., was .26 per gallon.

Irvington had at least two theaters. The worst part of one of them, was that they had a small projector. The projectionist could write on a piece of, maybe celephane and project a message on the side wall. 

"Film broke. I'll fix it in a minute." or whatever message was important. But back to the worst part. That was when your mom would call and tell the manager that Little Ralphie (or whomever) was needed to go home.

On the wall:  "Ralphie W, your mom says to go home."

Kids in audience: "Ralphie, mommy wants you." (The humiliation.)

That's all I got for now.

I've lost too many drafts trying to keep up with you guys.

Dave:  Don't take away my access to the big screen, please!

When I go to the Clairidge, I park in the hidden deck that is fewer steps away from the theater than many times I've parked at Mountainside.

Does Ridski's experience mean we may soon see the end of our chance to see movies on the big screen?

Someone was talking about getting people OUT of their homes to see movies, rather than watching at home.  All these "at home" opportunities to be entertained could be contributing to the epidemic of loneliness we now have in this country.

Even in those tiny theaters our big theater was broken up into, I loved seeing a movie on the big screen, in my own town, maybe alone, or with, or just bumping into people I know in the audience.  We have a wide choice of intimate little theaters where I sometimes see a movie all by myself and huge complexes -- if that's what I feel like.  Sometimes it depends on the type of movie what choice I make.

I think I'll take myself out to the movies tonight.

Dave Schmidtt said:

It’s a beautiful dream.

Ridski’s experience at SOPAC and mine every time I drive out to the AMC East Hanover, both perfectly fine and well-maintained spaces, suggest that the population is happy staying home.

ETA: Again, parking.