Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
Boston Area movie theater wanted
posted by
Neuasa
on
February 9, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I represent a client looking for a Boston area multi-screen (minimum 3). Inclined towards in-town, downtown, historic or suburban village setting but will consider all theatres. Please call or write:
Mike Hurley
800-545-8956
Comments (9)
The 12-screen Assembly Square Cinemas in Somerville have been vacant since January 2007.
Also, in downtown Boston, the RKO Boston has sat empty since the mid-1980s. It was subdivided before it closed, but I’m not sure into how many screens. It is the only remaining downtown Boston theatre that awaits reuse, as all others have either been restored, converted to other uses, or demolished.
I don’t understand your comment.
It is commercial spam; it should be removed.
The RKO Boston had the balcony walled off with a concrete ceiling extending from the balcony to the back stage, with a Cinerema auditorium in the orchestra section. This was subsequently twinned before the building closed (currently used for sotrage). The theater originally seated just over 3,000, so the two screens must be at least 700 seats each. The upper part has been vacant since the 1960s at least – most of the plaster ornamentation is there but a lot of stuff (lighting, etc). was stripped out and that portion at least would require a lot of renovation. I am not sure of the condition of the lower part (vacant since mid 1980s). The exterior of the building is a national landmark so the building itself is being maintained.
There isn’t much else in the Boston area in terms of triplexes – the old Cinema 57 downtown (Now Stuart Street Theatre) was a twin. Current tenants have only renovated one auditorium; the other is still empty, but possibly available.
Why did they need to seal off that balcony in order to convert to Cinerama?
When the RKO Boston was first converted to Cinerama circa-1953, the auditorium was still whole, as far as I can recall. Later, the balcony was walled off, as described above. Anyway, it’s unlikely that this theater would be a candidate for reopening. For one thing, the main entrance is no longer there.
When it became the Star Cinema the main entrance was moved to Essex Street, where it remains today (though the doors are now papered over).
I’m surprised no one mentioned the closed and vacant 7-screen Circle Cinemas on the Brookline/Brighton line. Not exactly Boston proper, but close. Of course, National Amusements might have an issue with any prospective buyer repurposing it as cinema; on the other hand, doing anything else requires the area to be rezoned, so they don’t have much leverage.