As you've likely heard by now, the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on East Houston closes after its slate of screenings on Sunday.
News emerged last spring that East End Capital and K Property Group bought the building for $31.5 million with plans to convert it to a mixed-use development with retail and upstairs office space. The site includes 20,000 square feet of air rights.
In November, the new owners of the building filed demolition permits to take down the three-level structure here between Eldridge and Forsyth.
As for the last weekend of films, there's nothing special planned, per Deadline Hollywood, who first reported on the closure on Jan. 9.
Per Ted Mundorff, CEO of Landmark Theatres: "There's nothing to celebrate."
There are five films playing to close out the weekend, holdovers from recent weeks: "Hostiles," "Darkest Hour," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," "In Between" and "The Room." (No Tommy Wiseau in person, though.)
At midnight, there are screenings of "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Super Fly."
Landmark will continue the midnight-movie tradition at their new West 57th Street location, which includes a cafe with a liquor license...
As our #SunshineAtMidnight series draws to a close this weekend, @TheLandmark57W will be continuing on the tradition of midnight shows for @TheRoomMovie.
— Sunshine Cinema (@sunshine_cinema) January 17, 2018
Advance tickets for their first weekend (January 26-27) of #THEROOM are on sale now! https://t.co/xD6eeXrSgU pic.twitter.com/nLaUNfkbV2
Landmark reportedly had the opportunity to buy the property, but decided against it after CB3 voted down a proposal for a full liquor license for a cafe in the theater in 2012 for pre- and post-movie drinks and dinner. As The Lo-Down reported at the time, "residents in attendance ... expressed serious concerns about the application in an area already teeming with nightlife activity."
Built in 1898, the Sunshine Cinema building was formerly the Houston Hippodrome motion picture theatre and a Yiddish vaudeville house. After sitting abandoned for many years, the building was renovated ... with the Sunshine opening on Dec. 21, 2001.
As for the future, East End's website states:
East End is planning to re-develop the building into a mixed-use retail and office project. While pursuing tenants interested in utilizing the structure in its current form, work is also underway for a new, best-in-class office building with retail at the base – a first in the rapidly evolving Lower East Side. 139 East Houston will offer cutting-edge design from Roger Ferris Architecture, huge windows with expansive views, high ceilings and column-free efficient space – all on top of a subway stop in a unique and exciting location. Ground breaking is expected in the second quarter of 2018.
Previously on EV Grieve:
A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema