Real Estate
Island's Vintage Movie Theaters Face Uncertain Future
Repair work at the Island Theatre and a long-term lease at the Strand are keeping both Oak Bluffs movie houses dark, according to the Martha's Vineyard Times, which reports that owners aren't saying when the Capawock in Vineyard Haven will reo
Work crews are busy making repairs at the Island Theatre on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
But according to a report in the Martha's Vineyard Times, neither this theater nor the nearby Strand, which is under a long-term lease to a vehicle rental company, is likely to reopen for the summer movie season.
The buildings' owners, members of the Hall family, told the newspaper they are trying to work out a way to use the Strand for summer screenings and that a third vintage movie house they own, the Capawock in Vineyard Haven, will be open for business this summer, although it needs a new $40,000 digital projection system and no opening date has been set.
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Longtime observers of down-Island commercial real estate may have their doubts that any of the three Hall properties will reopen this season: Other Hall-owned buildings, notably a decaying retail structure at the corner of Main and South Summer streets in Edgartown, have remained untenanted and unrepaired for many years.
What do you think the chances are that one or more of the theaters will reopen this year? Tell us in the comments.
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