True, but the name ‘West End’ was erased from the city’s geography. The new shining development wanted nothing to do with the name West End, preferring ‘Charles River Park’.
To my amazement, this is STILL sitting empty more than six years after it closed. I’ve heard of no development plans for this property yet. (It is not owned by Federal Realty, who are doing extensive redevelopment of other Assembly Square property.)
In a Columbus Eastside-related Facebook group, someone told me that a Pakistani community center called ‘Masjid Namrah’ is now located here.
Mark_L (or anyone else local to Columbus), can you walk or drive by the location and verify this? These pages give the same address as the old Forum, but I don’t know if they moved into the cinema building or if they tore it down to build something new.
The front entrance next to Main Street is now an Aldi grocery store. The rest of the property appears to now be some sort of warehouse or light industrial district.
Looks like this has mostly become a residential subdivision, back behind the medical center and Golden Corral restaurant buildings that were on either side of the entrance.
Are you sure about the closing date? I lived in Columbus from 1968-75, and what I remember at this address is a Zayre department store, a SupeRx drugstore, and various smaller shops clustered around a big parking lot.
That didn’t happen until 2004, by which time this theatre was long gone ;–(
True, but the name ‘West End’ was erased from the city’s geography. The new shining development wanted nothing to do with the name West End, preferring ‘Charles River Park’.
Why did they choose to rename the theatre ‘West End’ in 1963, years after the West End neighborhood was totally destroyed?
Maybe that’s when it changed its name to ‘Publix’, but it had already been around for decades before 1949.
Opened as a cinema with the ‘Capri’ name, I assume you mean? As the comments and description show, this theatre had a long history before that.
To my amazement, this is STILL sitting empty more than six years after it closed. I’ve heard of no development plans for this property yet. (It is not owned by Federal Realty, who are doing extensive redevelopment of other Assembly Square property.)
In a Columbus Eastside-related Facebook group, someone told me that a Pakistani community center called ‘Masjid Namrah’ is now located here.
Mark_L (or anyone else local to Columbus), can you walk or drive by the location and verify this? These pages give the same address as the old Forum, but I don’t know if they moved into the cinema building or if they tore it down to build something new.
Masjid Namarah web page
Masjid Namarah Facebook page
That’s quite a drop, from 660 to 300.
From that website, it appears that they have officially changed the name to ‘Linden Cleve Theatre’.
When did this close?
Are you sure? I saw it at the Grand Cinerama.
Thanks – when was the reopening day, and what is the theatre now being used for?
Do you happen to know when it closed?
Is this still closed? If so, the status needs updating.
What is the current status of this construction project?
I believe this has been demolished.
Is it still standing? This page says ‘Renovating’ which I somewhat doubt.
The front entrance next to Main Street is now an Aldi grocery store. The rest of the property appears to now be some sort of warehouse or light industrial district.
Looks like this has mostly become a residential subdivision, back behind the medical center and Golden Corral restaurant buildings that were on either side of the entrance.
This location is now a Wal-Mart.
The map location is at Main and Yearling, which is not at all consistent with either my memory of the place, or the aerial photo.
The map location shown here looks wrong — way east of where it should be.
Are you sure about the closing date? I lived in Columbus from 1968-75, and what I remember at this address is a Zayre department store, a SupeRx drugstore, and various smaller shops clustered around a big parking lot.
What organization is trying to restore it, and what sort of entertainment do they plan to have?
Any indication of when the new replacement (National Amusements) cinema will open?