Regal UA blames shutdown of Court Street theater on problems with lease negotiations
The Regal UA Court Street and RPX movie theater was a victim of real estate negotiations, according to the theater chain. Photo courtesy of Cinema Treasures
Over a week after Regal UA Court Street & RPX movie theater at 106 Court St. abruptly ceased operations without warning, Regal has confirmed that the multiplex theater has officially closed.
In a statement sent to the Eagle on Thursday, Jan. 27, Regal stated that although the company was proud that its Court Street location had served as a gathering place for the community in Downtown Brooklyn for over 20 years, the company was not able to reach an agreement with the landlord on a fair and sustainable rent that would have allowed for the very significant renovation investment needed.
“Since the term of the lease had ended and the negotiations with the landlord failed, we instead had to close the location,” it stated. “While we continue to believe in the site and the community, we had to make the difficult decision to close this location due to our inability to reach an agreement with the landlord on a new lease term reflecting the need for a major and very costly renovation needed to bring a Regal-style, state-of-the-art theatre to Brooklyn,” the statement read.
On Jan. 21, a spokesperson for Madison International Realty, the property owner, told the New York Times that the company is “gathering more information” and that it shares “the community’s disappointment.”
As of the time of press, Madison International Realty hasn’t responded to Regal’s statement.
“Over the past few years, we have been focused on ensuring that our audiences have the best possible moviegoing experience through extensive investments in renovations and refurbishments at our locations, and we were prepared to and would have loved to bring that level of experience to our Court Street location,” the statement added.
During its existence, the theater, which was in the same building as a Barnes & Noble bookstore, had developed a reputation as a rowdy place where the audience shouted back at the screen, especially during action movies, and fights occasionally broke out.
On Twitter, Sheryl Huggins Salomon said, “I did my share of talking back at the screen at the UA Court Street, but I was always ready to challenge behavior that showed `no home training’ from people of all stripes (feet up on the back of the seat in front of you? Really?) Thanks for the memories.”
Daniel Stedman tweeted, “Personal fave movie theater is closing. I never saw a movie there without someone shouting and/or food being thrown at the screen. I truly will miss this landmark.”
“It was wild and loud as hell sometimes,” another Twitter user said.
“And yet, I’d still take that over seeing it turned into more condos or another bank.”
“Scream” was the last film to play at the theater.
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