Wollaston Theatre
14 Beale Street,
Quincy,
MA
02170
14 Beale Street,
Quincy,
MA
02170
10 people
favorited this theater
Built in 1927, this single screen theatre operated in recent years as a discount house and as a venue for live performances.
As of 2008, it was for sale, and was sold in 2009, with proposals for possible reopening.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 153 comments)
The Patriot Ledger ran one its polls recently asking “Should the Wollaston Theatre be preserved and reopened, or torn down and the site developed??” There were 556 responses: Saved- 61%; Torn down-38%.
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists the Wollaston Theatre which was then just opening. It says it presents movies 2 days per week. There was a theatrical stock company in residence during the Wollaston’s first years so that would have limited movie presentations. It also says that it has only 400 seats, which is way too low.
Today’s Quincy Patriot Ledger has a feature article which reports that two entities, a group and an individual, have approached the mayor’s office with an interest in going forward with the Wolly restoration project. There will be a meeting at 630PM on Monday, Feb. 14 at the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy Center to discuss the theater. Restoration cost is estimated at $6M – $7M, which seems rather low for theater projects like this one, but possible, I guess.
Apparently the Wolly has been sold and is going to be turned into an Asian Market, because Quincy clearly needs another one of those.
Link to the place where you read this news, please?
The new owner says he has is looking for community input- http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/quincy/2012/01/quincys_wollaston_theater_sold.html
The Quincy Patriot Ledger of January 31 has a front page story about the sale. The sales price was only $600,000. The buyer is a business man from Weston who runs Asian supermarkets, the C-Mart chain. He’s been trying to open an outlet in North Quincy but has been thwarted by various zoning issues. He says he is not sure what he will do with the theater. The seller, Mrs. Yvonne Chandler, is quoted in the article as remarking that she would “rather forget the whole thing.” The article was written by reporter Jack Encarnacao.
Here’s a link to the original Patriot Ledger story http://www.patriotledger.com/entertainment/x842391792/Wollaston-Theatre-sold-to-C-Mart-owner
The Quincy Patriot Ledger yesterday ran one of its reader polls: “Do you think the Wolly will ever reopen as a movie house?” (voting is conducted on-line). The results: 350 responses- Yes- 16%, No- 83%.
Seems reasonable; most of these places, once they are saved, need live performances to stay in business.