JERSEY CITY'S THEATER OVERHAUL

After arduous renovations some years ago, THE WELLMONT THEATER in Montclair, NJ does amazing business (though they're on their second owners--they had a snafu & it closed for a while). The renovations were stellar--done by a NY architect.

(Brief history: opened in 1922 for live entertainment then switched to movies in 1929.In 2008 it completed a $3 million renovation and became a music venue booked by The Bowery Presents. The building was retrofitted with new electrical and plumbing systems. New bars in the orchestra and mezzanine were installed.In 2013, venue booking changed to Live Nation, after the theater again underwent another careful refurbishment.)

On the heels of this success Jersey City is installing the same idea in one of their great movie palaces of yesteryear. Even in the 1970's those theaters were bustling with movie activity (along with the more modern & now defunct STATE THEATER).
Though a lot of the clientele was of the unsavory kind, they were still making money. It was sad when they closed or were bought by religious organizations.

Last time I visited the LOEWS- about 2 yrs. ago-was to see one of their meets & greets with a living celebrity associated with the classic film shown on that day. I got to meet the incomparable Piper Laurie in "The Hustler". They had shown "All About Eve" and others as well.

NOW HOPE !

"One of the country's biggest entertainment companies is set to manage the Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, an important step in the effort to turn the aging venue into a gem of the state's second-biggest city.

On Thursday, city officials said that AEG Live, a company that books talent and manages venues nationwide, will manage the Loew's Jersey Theatre and that the city will spend about $30 million to $40 million to overhaul the theater.

The renovation plan calls for closing the theater sometime this year and reopening it by late 2015 or early 2016.

The theater, once among the state's most opulent, opened in 1929 when the city had several movie houses. The palatial space was long a venue for watching films; in recent years, the theater has become a home for film and photography shoots.

Updating the venue would give Jersey City a chance to compete for big performers with halls such the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan and the Wellmont Theater in Montclair. 

"This will be our first signature trophy entity for the cultural arts," said Mayor Steven Fulop. "It's something Jersey City has never had, a cultural arts hub that anchors the community."

The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency is expected to approve the arrangement on Tuesday night..."