A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

News broke last week that developers East End Capital and K Property Group bought 139 E. Houston St. for $31.5 million. As the Post reported, the current tenant here, the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, will close when its lease expires in January 2018.

On Tuesday, the involved parties took out a full-page ad in the Post (thanks to Blue Glass for the photos)...







The partners say they look forward to a "transformative retail future." Given the negative reaction to news of the Sunshine's demise, some local residents likely won't be offering their congratulations.

Patch had an update last evening on the building's future:

Greg Kraut, a managing partner at K Property Group, did not confirm to Patch rumors of the theater's imminent closure, but noted that the cinema's lease would expire in 2018, and that the developers would look to fulfill "whatever the community thinks" the space should be used for.

And Landmark's position?

"We have been notified that the building was sold and we certainly hope to operate for as long as the new owners go through the permitting process with the city," a spokeswoman for the Landmark Theatres company said in a statement.

The Sunshine opened here between Forsyth and Eldridge in 2001.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Sunshine Cinema on East Houston to close in January