He said he was “deeply saddened” that the community would lose its local theater. Theodorous thanked Merrick, and nearby communities, for their support over the last five years. With many people watching movies nowadays on streaming services, like Netflix and Disney+, Shatz added, “it can’t help the movie theaters” stay open. “I hope that doesn’t happen to the Bellmore Playhouse.” Others in the area said they hoped Cinemas V’s demise wasn’t an indication that other nearby theaters may also be shutting down. “It was a nice place to take your kids to.” Yvette Novo-Scamardella wrote that she thought the property “may be rezoned for residential use.” “Honestly, I am saddened by this,” she added of the theater’s closure. Some agreed with Baker that an apartment complex may be in site’s future. It’s a shame really - the prices were great and they had just redone the theater, adding in reclining seats.” “We had been there just a few weeks ago, and there were no indications that they were closing. “It was terribly shocking,” Vicki Ferretti wrote the Herald in a message on Facebook. The theater was known for its low prices, and as a go-to location for private events, such as birthday parties. There is additional parking behind the cinema, on Fisher Avenue, for shoppers and, until now, theatergoers. Broadcast Plaza intersects Merrick Avenue, where most of Merrick’s local shops are located. Even though the lots in front of it are designated for commuter parking during weekday work hours, the town allowed the theater to operate in the plaza, because most people attend movies in the evening or on weekends. The cinema, he added, was in a good spot. If an apartment proposal is in the works for the closed cinema, it would need to be approved by the Town of Hempstead, Baker said, to ensure that there is ample parking. A question raised repeatedly by residents is where apartment dwellers would park their vehicles if the existing lot space in both locations proves inadequate. There have been two notable proposals for apartment complexes in Bellmore over the past year: one to replace a closed Citibank branch on Bedford Avenue, and the other to replace the former Temple Beth El on Bellmore Road. He added that he was guessing he could not say for sure, that a developer might seek to replace the theater with a multistory property, with businesses on the ground floor and living quarters above it. The site’s investment highlight, the website said, is its close proximity to the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station, making it an “excellent development opportunity.” Loop Net indicates that the property is under contract, but does not say who is attempting to acquire it.īaker said he saw movie seats being moved into a tractor-trailer behind the theater on Fisher Avenue, likely indicating that whoever is acquiring the property would no longer operate it as a cinema. “Sad, but interesting.”Īccording to Loop Net, an online marketplace for commercial properties, the cinema is for sale, listed at $2.2 million by Cresa, a commercial real estate company. When Merrick Cinemas V closed suddenly, it came as a shock to many - including Baker.
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