Royal Oak Main Art Theater...closed for good?

[mtburb]

It seemed trouble was starting to brew when it abruptly closed back in April, and now that the landlord drove the owners out, this closure may have become permanent.

Truly disappointing to see all that history come to an end over the landlord's decision. This theater was where MJR Digital Cinemas got its start back in 1980, and it was the first theater in Metro Detroit to add stadium seating back in 1993.

It'd been holding its own in competition with a newer Emagine literally right behind it, but it seems like in the end Emagine won out.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/royal-oaks-main-art-theatre-marquee-landlord-kicked-us-out-rip?fbclid=IwAR2t0fachtoZab5sjRfi9pjjSLCf_Ez7utLoL mi_cRkWb46YGDAiG3JN96s

[Danny]

The slumlord of the property has kick them all out, horrible! The slumlord is probably want to sell the building and make it into super lofts!

[DetBill]

Sad to see the theater go, used to love to go to see movies there and spend the day bumming around.. I’m sure the theater will just be torn down , yet another mid high-rise condominium erected in this place. Honestly, Royal Oak has just become so boring, it’s nothing but bars and restaurants and condos. I used to be jealous of it as I lived downtown [[still do ) in Detroit. Years ago R.O. had along with bars and restaurants great funky stores, lots of bookstores, art galleries, theater and just an interesting vibe about the whole place, no longer., now I’m glad to be downtown Detroit where we have all those things but we also have great arts and entertainment, great river walks and bike pathways, museums, pro sports etc. There’s really no reason to go to Royal Oak anymore , we have it all in our backyard downtown.

[Kathleen]

State Rep. [[and former Royal Oak mayor) Jim Ellison has posted a lengthy piece on his Facebook page in which he says that the local landlord Jonna & Co. did not terminate the theatre's lease agreement and, in fact, did not charge any rent during the pandemic months. Further, he stated that the national Landmark Theatre chain decided to close the RO Main Theatre.

Check out his full posting for all the details.

[Bong-Man]

I have to mention "Richie Blackmore's Rainbow" in 1979. By far the loudest concert I've ever been to in any venue. My hair was literally blowing backwards, and I had to brace myself with both hands on the seat in front of me. I don't even know why they chose the venue, as they played Cobo the next night. Every time I saw that old Maxell commercial with the guy sitting in the chair, I thought of that show.

[Kathleen]

Bongman: Sounds like a real experience!! But you are thinking of the Royal Oak Music Theatre, not to be confused with the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak that is now closing down. The Royal Oak Music Theatre lives on!

[Bong-Man]

Bongman: Sounds like a real experience!! But you are thinking of the Royal Oak Music Theatre, not to be confused with the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak that is now closing down. The Royal Oak Music Theatre lives on!

Thanks for the correction. I honestly thought they were one and the same. Internet payback for my Vanity/Cinderella clarification.

[preserve]

I have seen so many good movies at that venue that never make it to the multiplex movie houses. Where ever will foreign films be shown now?
We have Cinema Detroit, but the seating there is iffy at best. I guess parking for the Emagine Theater won out.

[Honky Tonk]

I have seen so many good movies at that venue that never make it to the multiplex movie houses. Where ever will foreign films be shown now?
We have Cinema Detroit, but the seating there is iffy at best. I guess parking for the Emagine Theater won out.

The DFT at the DIA has always shown good foreign films up to 2020 BC. [before Covid] You can still see these films on their "pay for view" website at home, as you can at Cinema Detroit's website.

[Kathleen]

I guess parking for the Emagine Theater won out.

Paul Glantz of Emagine says he is not interested in buying the building. Besides, in addition to the existing metered parking lot, there is a parking structure right there and another one across the street. The building does have its own free parking lot.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...rk/7666846002/

I'm hoping that a restaurant or something retail buys the building, guts it and opens on site. Almost anything but another residential tower! Too much of that going in there.

[EGrant]

There's probably pretty big demand for housing, based on the market in RO and surrounding areas; I'd be surprised if it was something other than residential on top of commercial.

[casscorridor]

The pandemic killed the Main Art. But Royal Oak's incompetent planning department killed Royal Oak, or at least the Royal Oak that was unique or interesting.

[EGrant]

Very interesting update to this story: Main Art Theatre Closed, But Marquee Message Was Mistaken

“This was not a landlord issue,” he said. “The owner, Landmark, made the decision to close.”

[Kathleen]

The pandemic killed the Main Art. But Royal Oak's incompetent planning department killed Royal Oak, or at least the Royal Oak that was unique or interesting.

There was a time when the landlords were raising rents and forcing small business owners to pay or move out. That sure didn't help the downtown RO scene!! This led to numerous businesses closing or moving to another more rent-friendly suburb. And it took a while for the rents to get back to something affordable and allow new small businesses to open in downtown RO.

[masterblaster]

There's probably pretty big demand for housing, based on the market in RO and surrounding areas; I'd be surprised if it was something other than residential on top of commercial.

Do people want culture or not?

Isn't demand in Royal Oak high because of places like this?

People keep saying what made Royal Oak a draw, is gone. Then why is demand so high to live there?

By the way, the outcry over this place closing was greater than the reaction of the closing of Boblo Island, Belle Isle Zoo, Michigan State Fairgrounds, and Marygrove College combined! Sheesh! Royal Oak is more beloved than Detroit.

Nobody is talking about Red Hots closing, a 100-year old coney island restaurant.

I'm sure some dedicated party can convince someone/some company to finance a re-opening. Or maybe the theater can be incorporated into a new mixed-use development since demand to live in Royal Oak is so high.

[Gistok]

By the way, the outcry over this place closing was greater than the reaction of the closing of Boblo Island, Belle Isle Zoo, Michigan State Fairgrounds, and Marygrove College combined! Sheesh! Royal Oak is more beloved than Detroit.

Huh? Where did you come up with that idea.

You will find that most forumers will disagree with every one of these statements. Back in the "Bohemian days" Royal Oak was an interesting place to visit. Now it's just overrated.

[EGrant]

Royal Oak is a hot residential market because it's a nice place to live. I could go in depth on the specifics, but that's a little off topic. Has the city lost some cultural cache over the last decade? Of course. But let's not pretend that people are paying $250K for a 900 sq. foot bungalow because there's an art house theater on Main Street.

[Kathleen]

Huh? Where did you come up with that idea.

You will find that most forumers will disagree with every one of these statements. Back in the "Bohemian days" Royal Oak was an interesting place to visit. Now it's just overrated.

Totally agree. No way that the outcry over the Main Theatre closing is greater than the past closings of major area sites all combined!!

And about Royal Oak...I don't necessarily agree that Royal Oak is overrated. Maybe Downtown Royal Oak. But having lived here for most of the last 40 years [after growing up on Detroit's east side], it really is a nice place to live. And Downtown Royal Oak has had its ups and downs. But it's walkable so you still can enjoy an afternoon wandering in and out of shops, enjoy a nice meal with friends, or try a progressive dinner for an enjoyable evening! And there are some nice places to eat up and down Woodward Avenue too!

[JBMcB]

And Downtown Royal Oak has had its ups and downs.

For being "overrated" downtown Royal Oak is pretty packed most weekends. Pre-pandemic, at least. I love Goldfish Tea. And Deco Doug.

[Gistok]

Sorry... didn't mean to belittle Royal Oak...

Kathleen et al... my overrated comment was more in context of the "more beloved than Detroit" comment.

Royal Oak is the envy of most suburbs... and it has a wonderful housing stock [I first remember how nice it was when I was 10 years old and thought to myself... look at the quality of these homes!]... it reminds me of the housing stock in my native St. Clair Shores between Harper and Lake St. Clair. The growth along Main Street has been phenomenal. I do miss some of the places there I used to frequent when I was in my 20s.

I did a Google Street View yesterday... and I was surprised at the big difference between Main Street Royal Oak, and Woodward in Royal Oak, and how little Woodward has changed. I'm just surprised that there is no vertical growth along Woodward. I wonder if that was due to planning by the city, or if there was no demand for growth along Woodward as there is on Main Street.

[EGrant]

I think vertical growth on Woodward is going to be tough as long as it remains a 6-lane speedway. It's just not a very walkable area, especially when compared to Main Street.

[Kathleen]

Agree re: vertical growth on Woodward, when a business closes, the building sits and sits. Every so often we get a new restaurant or a new business, and most recently the new Woodward Corners. But we need more restaurants and businesses...and not the schlocky pawn shop or marijuana dispensaries. We're waiting to see what comes into the Pasquale's building and parking lot...as well as the Art Van/Love's site. Something to stimulate more business and more growth!

[masterblaster]

I think vertical growth on Woodward is going to be tough as long as it remains a 6-lane speedway. It's just not a very walkable area, especially when compared to Main Street.

Agree re: vertical growth on Woodward, when a business closes, the building sits and sits. Every so often we get a new restaurant or a new business, and most recently the new Woodward Corners. But we need more restaurants and businesses...and not the schlocky pawn shop or marijuana dispensaries. We're waiting to see what comes into the Pasquale's building and parking lot...as well as the Art Van/Love's site. Something to stimulate more business and more growth!

In my humble opinion, the lack of high density development along Woodward in Oakland County is a result of the lack of rapid transit along such a key corridor as Woodward. If we had trains zipping up and down the median like we should have - giving people an attractive, viable alternative to the automobile, Woodward would have started to densify and become more walkable.

We see the immense densification around rapid transit lines in suburban Washington, D.C, and suburban Toronto. That could have been Woodward through Ferndale/Royal Oak/Berkley/Birmingham.

Royal Oak has the opportunity to create TWO Main Street/downtown-type areas.

Instead of dense, transit oriented, mixed-use development along Woodward, you get a fancy strip mall at 13 Mile and Woodward, and the news that the Pasquale's is gonna be replaced by a Big Boy. Really underwhelming stuff.

[Kathleen]

There hasn't been a peep in the media since late 2019 when it was announced that a Big Boy would replace Pasquale's. There is a sign offering the property for development. Maybe the pandemic killed the original plan?

If the development is realized, them new Big Boy will not be far from where an original Big Boy Drive In and later a restaurant near Normandy and Woodward once stood. Guess we'll see....

[Danny]

Royal Oak today is no Royal Joke! Since the development super lofts. It's downtown will look like mini-Seattle in a few years. What to do about the Old Main Theater? Let the Royal Oak City Council buy it and return it the Landmark Theaters.