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July 25, 2017
Park Rapids, MN - Fire damages Park Rapids movie theater
From Valley News Live: Investigators are looking for the cause of a fire at a well known classic movie theater in the Valley.
According to reports the marquee sign at the Park Theater in downtown Park Rapids caught fire Monday night.
The fire started about 7:00 p.m. and the Park Rapids Fire Department posted on Facebook for people to give them room on the busy street so they could do their job.
About two dozen people were in the theater at the time, everyone made it out safely.
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East Stroudsburg, PA - Fire rages at movie theater in the Poconos
From Lehigh Valley Live: A fire at a Poconos movie theater continues to burn with no end in sight.
Firefighters were summoned to the fire at the Poconos Movieplex at 7:35 p.m. Sunday. The movie theater is at 125 Municipal Drive off Route 209 in Middle Smithfield Township.
Patrons had to clear out of the theater. Some stayed to watch firefighters battle the blaze.
Flames initially shot through the roof and smoke continued to pour out two hours later. The fire is being fought by Bushkill, Stroud, Marshalls Creek, Shawnee and East Stroudsburg fire companies.
No one answered the phone at the Bushkill Volunteer Fire Co. firehouse and the chief didn’t immediately return a message late Sunday.
The fire is in a strip mall once called the Foxmoor Village Mall but was renamed Pocono Square in 2010, according to a report in the Pocono Record.
The Record reported that the building changed hands when the previous owner couldn’t keep up with rent payments. It was purchased by Vermont state Sen. Kevin J. Mullin in 2010, the report says.
According to the Pocono Record, a fire destroyed a free-standing building in the front of the mall in 2009.
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April 10, 2017
Bridgeport, CT - Mayor to announce chosen bidder for Bridgeport theater revival
From The Connecticut Post: The city has chosen a bidder to revive the old Poli Palace and Majestic Theater complex and the mayor could announce the winning bid in his speech before the business community on Monday. Mayor Joseph Ganim, who gave a tour of the Main Street site when he campaigned to win back his old seat in 2015, has said bringing the theaters, which are in the same building, back online would be a priority for his administration. The city several months ago issued a request for proposals for redevelopment of the building on the edge of the downtown, which is also home to the former Savoy Hotel. The city also recently placed a faux marquee-style sign in front of the structure that reads “Majestic” across the front and has the words “Coming soon” on the side. In the fall, before the request was issued, Thomas Gill, the city’s economic development director, told Hearst Connecticut Media the city would be looking for mixed uses at the site and a plan to bring back at least one of the theaters. “I don’t think anybody believes it could go back to two theaters,” Gill said at the time. The two theaters have a total of 5,500 seats, with the Palace the larger of the two. They were opened in 1922 and closed in the 1970s. Any proposals submitted to the city would likely preserve as much of the historic elements of the buildings as possible.
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February 10, 2017
Milwaukee, WI - BREAKING: Fire guts historic Milwaukee theater State Theater opened in 1915
From TMJ4.com: A historic Milwaukee theater went up in flames Thursday evening.
The State Theater, located in the 2600 block of State Street, was destroyed in the two-alarm fire.
The abandoned building is located just two blocks from the famous Five O'Clock Steakhouse.
The theater first opened in 1915 and played host to silent movies and various entertainment events.
Throughout the years, it was also known as the Electric Ballroom and Palms, and even served time as a church.
U2 played a concert at the theater before the band became well known, but the building has been abandoned for at least two decades.
Nobody was injured in the fire and it’s not clear what sparked it.
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January 4, 2017
New book on the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, published by Theatre Historical Society of America.
On September 7, 1929 the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn opened its doors to the public for the first time. Less than 50 years later they were shut, seemingly for good. Designed by the Rapp & Rapp architecture firm in the French Baroque style, the Kings is not only an architecturally important piece of Brooklyn history, but from community standpoint as well. Many Brooklynites had their first date at the theater, or walked across the stage during their high school graduation. Now, after almost 40 years of darkness, the curtain is beginning to rise.
When it reopened in 2015, the Kings became the largest indoor theater in Brooklyn and the third largest in New York City. It is a place for the community to gather once again, hosting everything from Broadway shows to concerts. Take a trip through the history of the Kings via photographs and artifacts spanning the theater’s heyday through its renovation. Watch the theater return to its original splendor and learn for yourself why it’s called Brooklyn’s “Wonder Theater.”
This new book by Matt Lambros contains never before seen historic and modern photographs of the Kings, as well as a complete history of the theater. There are a limited supply available online at Amazon.
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December 30, 2016
Pueblo, CO - Pueblo theater leaders weigh in on future of arts
From The Pueblo Chieftain: The windows are darkened, the box office is closed and the marquee is still advertising a production from Dec. 8, 9 and 10. The curtain has officially fallen on the Damon Runyon Theater Company, prompting sadness from local performing arts advocates and questions about the fate of its historic headquarters.
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December 22, 2016
Sag Harbor, NY - UPDATE: In Sag Harbor, Spirit Trumps Fire As Recovery Gets Underway
From the East End Beacon: Now is the winter of Sag Harbor’s discontent made glorious by the spirit of its people.
Amid the chunks of fire debris still swirling in puddles throughout this bayside village this weekend, there were signs, already, that the community was feeling stronger for having pulled together through last Friday’s devastating fire.
Shoppers packed Main Street Sunday, bags brimming with Christmas gifts in hand, pausing briefly to gaze at the remains of the Sag Harbor Cinema, demolished over the weekend after its front wall began sagging toward the street, hugging each other tenderly and making plans for holiday celebrations.
The iconic Sag Harbor Cinema sign, which the community had banded together to recreate about a decade ago, was delicately removed as the façade was demolished by a track excavator from Keith Grimes, Inc. Friday night. It has been stored for safekeeping by Twin Forks Moving & Storage.
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December 17, 2016
Sag Harbor, NY - Historic Sag Harbor Cinema Burns, Facade Demolished
From Southampton Patch: Sag Harbor Fire: Historic Theater ‘Gutted,’ Community Vows to Rise From Ashes
Fire swept through the heart of Sag Harbor Village in the icy pre-dawn hours Friday, damaging at least four shops and an iconic, historic movie theater on Main Street.
Friday afternoon, firefighters continued to douse the rekindled ruins of the Sag Harbor Cinema, where all that remains is the four walls and the facade, fire officials said. “It’s gutted. It’s basically gone,” a fire department official told Patch.
“The roof is completely gone. You can look from the front of the building right out through the back,” Sag Harbor Fire Department officials said.
The fire is believed to have started on the back deck Friday morning; the fire is still under investigation by the fire marshal.
Both buildings on either side of the movie theater were lost or severely damaged, as was the south side of the shopping mall, fire officials said.
Flames and heavy smoke spread rapidly to at least five businesses on the street.
Cars were still not allowed down Main Street in Sag Harbor Friday afternoon.
According to the Sag Harbor Fire Department, the fire broke out at 6:14 a.m. near the Sag Harbor Cinema, with brutal winds and freezing temperatures posing challenges for firefighters who, covered in ice, battled the blaze.
But despite the widespread devastation and damage to property, no one was injured, the Sag Harbor Fire Department said.
Residents turned to social media to document the devastating scene they witnessed:
“I can barely hold my phone. It’s 22 degrees out,” wrote resident Tanya Malott, who lives close to the fire, on Facebook early Friday morning. “I saw flames shooting 20 feet in the air. The streets are covered in ice. The wind is blowing hard and the entire East Hampton side of Sag Harbor is covered in smoke. This is such a tragedy for Sag Harbor.”
She added, “I saw fireman covered in ice. The streets are covered in ice and salt. The guys who are fighting this are amazing.”
Full story, photo gallery: http://patch.com/new-york/southampton/firefighters-battling-massive-blaze-near-sag-harbor-movie-theater
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December 2, 2016
Flushing, Queens, NYC - Developers have plans for a movie theater in downtown Flushing, reports say
From QNS.com: Downtown Flushing will soon see a brand new movie theater after over 30 years without, according to reports.
The 1.2 million square foot mixed-use development called Tangram — formerly referred to as Two Fulton Street — includes plans for a 34,000 square-foot movie theater.
The massive commercial and residential project at 133-15 39th Ave. between College Point Boulevard and Prince Street is being co-developed by F&T Group and SCG America. Plans currently include four 15 or 16-story buildings which will feature a mix of condominium units, retail and office space, food hall and a three-level parking garage with 1,200 spaces.
The project’s co-developer F&T Group has been active in the Flushing area: the group is working on the huge Flushing Commons project and constructed the nearby One Fulton Square.
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November 21, 2016
Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Theatres® to Acquire All 14 Wehrenberg Theatres Locations in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota, with 197 Screens
From Business Wire: Marcus Theatres®, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS), today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Wehrenberg Theatres®, based in St. Louis, Missouri. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Wehrenberg Theatres is the oldest family-owned and operated theatre circuit in the United States, with 197 screens at 14 locations in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. Upon completion of the transaction, Marcus Theatres will increase its number of screens by 29%, operating 885 screens at 68 locations in eight states.
The transaction is targeted to be completed in December 2016, subject to customary closing conditions, consents and approvals.
“Acquisitions are an important component of our growth strategy and we are pleased to add the Wehrenberg Theatres locations to our circuit. The acquisition demonstrates our continued confidence in our theatre business. It will expand our presence in Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota and extends our footprint into Missouri,” said Gregory S. Marcus, president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation. “We anticipate a smooth integration of Wehrenberg Theatres into our circuit and expect the acquisition will be accretive to both earnings and cash flow.”
Rolando B. Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of Marcus Theatres, said, “Wehrenberg Theatres is highly respected in the industry, having served generations of moviegoers in four states with its premium service and strong family values. We will retain the Wehrenberg name on the acquired theatres. In addition, we look forward to working with the company’s associates to continue the tradition of excellence built by the Wehrenberg family. Once the transaction is completed, we plan to enhance the moviegoing experience at select theatres with features and amenities including our DreamLoungerSM recliner seating, premium large-format screens and signature food and beverage concepts.”
The late Ronald P. Krueger inherited Wehrenberg Theatres in 1963 at the age of 22. Ron and his wife, Midge, operated the chain for many years and were very active in the St. Louis community. They strongly supported charities such as Will Rogers Foundation, Variety – The Children’s Charity of St. Louis, The Salvation Army, Shriners Hospital for Children and many others.
“We are pleased Marcus Theatres will carry on the dedication to our customers and communities that has been a hallmark of Wehrenberg Theatres since 1906. Our two companies share the same philosophy – providing customers with the best entertainment experience possible. We were fortunate to find another family-led circuit which also understands the extra commitment it takes to serve our neighborhoods,” said William E. (Bill) Menke, president of Wehrenberg Theatres.
The 14 Wehrenberg Theatres locations include nine in the Greater St. Louis area; one each in Cape Girardeau and Lake Ozark, Missouri; one in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; one in Rochester, Minnesota; and one in Bloomington, Illinois. In conjunction with the acquisition, Marcus Theatres will acquire the underlying real estate for six of the theatre locations, as well as Ronnie’s Plaza, an 84,000 square foot retail center located at 5320 S. Lindbergh Blvd. in St. Louis.