Getting reel in Monroe
Six-screen theater could be a magnet
By KATHY KAHN
After six years, more planning and zoning board meetings
than anyone can count, construction delays, legal woes
and financial hurdles – nearly $8 million has been
invested in the project – Monroe’s six-screen cinema
opened with a bang on Friday, May 9.
The opening didn’t come without a few glitches. The
elevator didn’t work, so Casey Gittelman and her husband,
co-owner Norman Adie, opened the three screening rooms
on the first floor. “Without the elevator, we aren’t
handicap accessible, but that will be fixed in two
weeks,” said Gittelman. “In a way, it was a bit of
a blessing, because we have to complete some work to
the second floor, but we wanted to open on time. The
community waited so long. We didn’t want to disappoint
them.
“Some of the neighborhood kids got a little rambunctious,
opening the doors to let their friends sneak in, but
overall, we were very pleased that people turned out.
The weather wasn’t good, so that drew more people.”
Gittelman put a lot of sweat equity into the building,
which she describes as a “boutique theater ... We are
not simply going to have six screens and shuffle people
in and out. We have ample room for birthday parties
and to create something for adults, too – a bistro-style
cappuccino nook where they can relax.”
The new four-story theater has remained within the
footprint of the original theater that once stood there.
Although Adie tried to work with the old building,
“It was just impossible,” said general contractor Asastasios
Romnios. “The place was in such a dilapidated state;
the mildew was incredible. There was no saving any
of it. It was really a health hazard. We do have a
beauty here,” he said, waving his hand towards the
retro-style box offices. “And if anyone is going to
make this a destination, it is Norman and Casey.”
Faux finishes on floors and walls, 50’s style ticket
booths, with stadium seating in the theaters and a
sound system to knock your socks off make the Monroe
Cinema an eye- and ear-catching treat. Gittelman has
designed most of the interior herself. She’s apt to
climb a ladder with a paint brush to get just the look
she wants.
Now that the theater is officially opened, Lake Street
businesses are keeping fingers crossed that, as word
gets around, visitors will rediscover downtown Monroe.
“I’ve been here since 1949,” said Charles Lesser, owner
of Monroe Jewelers, who sits on the village Board of
Trustees. “This will help bring people back to our
Main Street, and we are certainly happy with the beautiful
building Norman and Casey have created. It’s going
to attract people to come to downtown and help build
it back up again. This street was once thriving, and
we believe with the addition of the theater, we can
make it a real destination again.”
Caffe Gelato owner David Barile agrees. He opened Planet
Pizza on the corner of Lake Street and Mill Pond Parkway
six years ago, and does brisk business. Last year,
Barile opened Caffe Gelato next door.
“We did very well our first season, considering that
people have forgotten Lake Street used to be ‘the’
place to shop and eat in Monroe. Prices of food seem
to have stopped climbing. They haven’t come down, but
they seem to be leveling off. Gelato is now $36 a gallon,
up from $29 last year. We raised our prices 10 cents.
We’re not looking to scare people away. We want the
townspeople to realize we can create our own downtown.
We don’t need to drive 30 or 40 miles any more.”
Walkers who use the paths that loop around the lake
that fronts the theater described Monroe Cinema – complete
with a clock tower bearing a silhouette of Charlie
Chaplin –as a pleasure to look at. And they like it
as a destination. “It beats driving 20 miles to see
a movie,” said one jogger.
“It’s great to have the movies back in Monroe,” said
Lesser. “And it will be even better once people discover
our stores and what we have to offer. It’s a great
time to start a special niche business, one that you
won’t find in the mall or Wal-Mart. Even in my own
business, although we’ve been here since 1949, people
are discovering there are stores out there with real
owners that take pride in their stores and in the quality
of their work and what they offer.”
What would Lesser like to see next? “A good old-fashioned
Jewish delicatessen,” he grinned, “one where you can
get a great knish.”
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