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July 1, 2007
Region's Indian population losing its biggest theater
NorthJersey.com shows us that FCR is not just trying to destroy local culture and community in Brooklyn:
For the last few years the Bollywood theater, run by Bergen County resident Vijay Shah, has been the biggest showcase of Indian movies in New York and New Jersey, screening 50-plus films a year on six screens. Blockbusters can sell 10,000 tickets on a good weekend, while a more modest film might still draw several thousand moviegoers in a run, Shah said.The changeover in the theater is being prompted by the owner of the building, Brooklyn-based Forest City Ratner Companies. The Bollywood theater has been sharing the multiplex with a movie house showing second-run Hollywood films, but property owners believe a first-run house will offer better returns, said Robert Rediker, a senior vice president for Forest City. The second-run screens made the transition on Friday.
Even if Shah had found a way to extend his lease, the theater's days were likely numbered. Forest City in December received approval to demolish the building to make way for a 29-story condo and shopping center, though Rediker said those plans were on hold.
Posted by amy at July 1, 2007 11:30 AM