Mayor says MonroeTheater will remain open

MONROE - The rumor circulating that the Monroe Theater is closing is not true, according to Monroe Mayor James Purcell. Purcell said he met with the investment firm of Sperry Van Ness Asset, a leasing and sales management, who told him the Theater is not closing its doors. The leasing agent has control of the day-to-day operations, including selling tickets and candy, Purcell said. The theater has had its up and downs from its inception. The original theater stood for 50 years, but it was torn down to make way for a multiplex. But it would be years before the new theater would be built, bogged down as a result of litigation between its owner, Norman Adie and former partners. The Mill Pond building was finally finished in 2008 after a warning from village officials to either “build it or tear it down.” Adie’s legal woes continued as other theaters he owned would close due to financial problems including back rent and monies owed to creditors. The theater owner owed property taxes to the tune of $100,000. Purcell said the theater’s debts, which also included Orange and Rockland Utilities and Cablevision, have all been taken care of by the bank. The Mayor said when he found out about the theater’s problems,he worked hand in hand with the Asset Agency to make sure the theater stays open. The opening or closing of a business can be felt all along the Lake Street business district. The theater, said Lynn Amendola of Amendola’s Pizzeria, is “an asset to downtown Monroe.” “We don’t need any more businesses going out,” added Dominick DiNapoli, owner of Smokey D’s on Lake Street. “We cannot afford it. We just lost another one on Route 17M, Rallye car dealership. We cannot afford any more to close down.”