Jones Lang LaSalle
Old theater on selling block again
Businessman lists Montclair cinema he doesn't own yet
Thursday, June 01, 2006
BY PHILIP READ
Star-Ledger Staff
Montclair's historic Wellmont Theater is being hawked on such places as cinematreasures.com, an online forum for movie-house afi cionados, and prospective buyers are getting tours of the circa 1922 venue.
Yet developer Steven Plofker -- the man behind the sales pitch -- hasn't even closed on his purchase of the landmark movie palace from Roberts Theaters' Gary E. Heckel.
"It's been surprisingly robust," Plofker said yesterday of inquiries about the theater. "Kansas City. Texas. Boston. Tennessee."
Less than three weeks ago and fresh from signing a sales contract, a flashlight-toting Plofker toured the dark recesses of the Seymour Street theater, saying he might convert the grand stage area hid den behind the theater's three screens into a restaurant or bar and find someone to either lease or purchase the movie operation.
But yesterday, with the closing of his own purchase of the Wellmont described as "imminent," Plofker said he wasn't ruling anything out. "I forever remain open to all the possibilities," he said.
So far, Plofker said, two offers have come in. "Most of the interest is for the current space, but not all," he said. He's been approached by a classic film operator, a feature film operator and others, he said. "One or two have mentioned live theater."
How it will pan out after Plofker closes on the theater, for a purported purchase price of just under $1 million, is yet to be seen. "We're just bombarded with them (inquiries), and we'll just sort through it," he said.
Two years ago, Plofker, who is the husband of cosmetics diva Bobbi Brown, was at the center of a development storm when he purchased Montclair's historic Marl boro Inn, setting in motion a legal battle and neighborhood fight to preserve the hostelry.
In the end, the inn was demolished in favor of a 10-house subdivi sion, whose $1.7 million homes now stand shoulder to shoulder in a "new urbanism" style. The battle with preservationists helped coin the term "Plofkerville."
Asked whether there were any prospective buyers showing interest in restoring the theater to a one-screen venue, Plofker said there were. "It's in someone's mind, but I don't know, it's hard to gauge," he said. "A 2,000-seat theater with zero parking spaces could be problematic."
Chatham-based Clearview Cinemas, which runs Claridge Cinemas just up Bloomfield Avenue in a res taurant-rich shopping strip dubbed "The Montclair Mile," purportedly made an inquiry about the Wellmont screens. But it apparently ended there.
"Clearview is aware of the Wellmont project and is not interested at this time," said Beth Simpson, a Clearview spokeswoman.
Just a week ago, Plofker's associate, David Genova, posted a write-up on cinematreasures.com, a Web site with preservation alerts and chat boards on old movie houses. "The historic Wellmont theatre, located in the heart of downtown Montclair, is up for sale or net lease!" reads the entry.
Yesterday, Jim Peskin, executive director of the newly formed nonprofit Montclair Arts Council, said Plofker approached him and the Montclair Economic Development Corp. for advice on what might be economically feasible uses for the Wellmont.
"We have a lot of groups that don't have permanent homes," said Peskin, noting that the concert se ries called Outpost in the Burbs could use a venue larger than its present space in a church. "The New Jersey Ballet rents different spaces. ... We don't know whether economically it would work. But we're exploring the possibilities."
The Wellmont had been strug gling.
A year ago, Heckel said, he stopped showing films in the larger, 500-seat theater in the old balcony. The heating simply cost too much, he said.
As May approached, he decided to close the theater for a month, not just for "renovations" as the sign in the ticket booth declared, but because of the slowness of the season. "This time of the year is really crummy," he said.
Philip Read covers West Essex. He may be reached at pread@star ledger.com or (973) 392-1851.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
Old theater on selling block again
Businessman lists Montclair cinema he doesn't own yet
Thursday, June 01, 2006
BY PHILIP READ
Star-Ledger Staff
Montclair's historic Wellmont Theater is being hawked on such places as cinematreasures.com, an online forum for movie-house afi cionados, and prospective buyers are getting tours of the circa 1922 venue.
Yet developer Steven Plofker -- the man behind the sales pitch -- hasn't even closed on his purchase of the landmark movie palace from Roberts Theaters' Gary E. Heckel.
"It's been surprisingly robust," Plofker said yesterday of inquiries about the theater. "Kansas City. Texas. Boston. Tennessee."
Less than three weeks ago and fresh from signing a sales contract, a flashlight-toting Plofker toured the dark recesses of the Seymour Street theater, saying he might convert the grand stage area hid den behind the theater's three screens into a restaurant or bar and find someone to either lease or purchase the movie operation.
But yesterday, with the closing of his own purchase of the Wellmont described as "imminent," Plofker said he wasn't ruling anything out. "I forever remain open to all the possibilities," he said.
So far, Plofker said, two offers have come in. "Most of the interest is for the current space, but not all," he said. He's been approached by a classic film operator, a feature film operator and others, he said. "One or two have mentioned live theater."
How it will pan out after Plofker closes on the theater, for a purported purchase price of just under $1 million, is yet to be seen. "We're just bombarded with them (inquiries), and we'll just sort through it," he said.
Two years ago, Plofker, who is the husband of cosmetics diva Bobbi Brown, was at the center of a development storm when he purchased Montclair's historic Marl boro Inn, setting in motion a legal battle and neighborhood fight to preserve the hostelry.
In the end, the inn was demolished in favor of a 10-house subdivi sion, whose $1.7 million homes now stand shoulder to shoulder in a "new urbanism" style. The battle with preservationists helped coin the term "Plofkerville."
Asked whether there were any prospective buyers showing interest in restoring the theater to a one-screen venue, Plofker said there were. "It's in someone's mind, but I don't know, it's hard to gauge," he said. "A 2,000-seat theater with zero parking spaces could be problematic."
Chatham-based Clearview Cinemas, which runs Claridge Cinemas just up Bloomfield Avenue in a res taurant-rich shopping strip dubbed "The Montclair Mile," purportedly made an inquiry about the Wellmont screens. But it apparently ended there.
"Clearview is aware of the Wellmont project and is not interested at this time," said Beth Simpson, a Clearview spokeswoman.
Just a week ago, Plofker's associate, David Genova, posted a write-up on cinematreasures.com, a Web site with preservation alerts and chat boards on old movie houses. "The historic Wellmont theatre, located in the heart of downtown Montclair, is up for sale or net lease!" reads the entry.
Yesterday, Jim Peskin, executive director of the newly formed nonprofit Montclair Arts Council, said Plofker approached him and the Montclair Economic Development Corp. for advice on what might be economically feasible uses for the Wellmont.
"We have a lot of groups that don't have permanent homes," said Peskin, noting that the concert se ries called Outpost in the Burbs could use a venue larger than its present space in a church. "The New Jersey Ballet rents different spaces. ... We don't know whether economically it would work. But we're exploring the possibilities."
The Wellmont had been strug gling.
A year ago, Heckel said, he stopped showing films in the larger, 500-seat theater in the old balcony. The heating simply cost too much, he said.
As May approached, he decided to close the theater for a month, not just for "renovations" as the sign in the ticket booth declared, but because of the slowness of the season. "This time of the year is really crummy," he said.
Philip Read covers West Essex. He may be reached at pread@star ledger.com or (973) 392-1851.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 12:40 PM
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