by Graham S. Jones, II
The Super Block is a good idea, but it requires government funding and support which will be wonderful if and when it is obtained. In the interim, Riverspace, a great venue, is closed. The wonderful theater needs to be rescued by people with dedication to volunteering to operate the theater and the assistance of those with deep pockets.
The 1869 Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie was saved by Steve and Julia Dunwell, individuals who acquired the building and operated it themselves. Someone needs to step up and perform the same services for Rivrespace as the Dunwells, Edward and Theodora Hoe and former Mayor Art Weinberg provided in Poughkeepsie.
Riverspace needs to be in the hands of a non-profit and operated as an independent theater. Down the road, the development of a parking structure and other amenities are key to revitalization of the downtown of Nyack, as they were to the revitalization of Poughkeepsie. In my 14 plus years as Planning Board chairman of the City of Poughkeepsie, our friendships with the Dunwells and the Hoes provided the spark that saved the Bardavon.
Rockland County needs to save its jewel on the Hudson. Waiting for the government agencies to act may risk lead to loss of the value of the Riverspace theater and lead to deterioration of the physical plant of the theater as plans are reviewed for possibly years on end as long delays in securing funding block early reopening of the theater.
The Jacob Burns Film Center was started with a $1.5 million gift from the Jacob Burns Foundation, and $4.5 million in tax-exempt bond financing assistance from the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency.
For an example of a great theater brought back to life, it isn’t necessary to look further than the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, which USA Today named one of the ten great movie palaces in the country.
It was saved from multiplexing when it was purchased by Suffern resident Robert Benmoche (Chairman of MetLife Insurance), who brought in Galaxy Theater chain owner Nelson Page (ex-chair of the NY Theater Organ Society and Lake Placid Film Forum, and current Director of the Bergan County Film Commission) to make renovations and run the theater. The Lafayette has first- run films, a top notch classics program that often presents rare archival prints, live events, and starting in November a Wednesday night series of independent and foreign films programmed by Rivertown Film. You won’t find another classic movie palace anywhere that can boast this kind of programming. People travel for hundreds of miles to see films in the Lafayette.
Rivertown Film will present monthly films in Nyack again, starting in January.
Right now, Rockland isn’t the capital of anywhere. If you had pulled up the site for Jacob Burns you would see who supported them. It’s a non profit, therefore everything is public. Sony, JPMorgan/Chase, Fuji, Club Fit, The Journal news, and The Club at Briarcliff Manor. Equally, there are several levels of membership and support.
It really bothers me, that Kavesh wrote all of those words and said nothing. If you really want the Riverspace to revive, then get up and do it.
I am invovled in starting a non profit Art Center/Gallery for this area.
My mission is to cultivate an artistic network for new, emerging, and mid career artists, by providing opportunities for exhibition, and educational programs, enriching the local and larger community. (similar to the Walker Center in MN, google it please). It would be an honor to expand this idea to include a theatre.
Since I am only one person with a growing list of volunteers, I thought it was best to start small. Would Mr Kavesh be willing to roll up his sleeves to help us paint?
But now after some experience, I believe bigger ideas and alliances, generate bigger funds.
Ok, Now who wants to help?
The author makes many great and thoughtful points: Nyack and Riverspace are indeed jewels on the Hudson; waiting for the state and/or federal governments to act and pay for feasibility studies might well take so much time that it would lead to the physcial deterioration of the theater; and Nyack would benefit enormously if this wonderful theater could be rescued and revived, the sooner the better.
What better way to keep Nyack a destination than through the arts?
What Nyack needs are local, arts- and civic-minded “versions” of whoever provided the big backing to the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville or of the Dunwells and Hoes in Poughkeepsie that Mr. Jones justifiably praised so highly.
Nyack needs to remain the arts, culinary, antiques, crafts, shopping, and tourist capital of Rockland County, while preserving the diversity of our village.
A revived theater would have a tremendous multiplier effect on our community, especially the downtown. According to the Census Department, Rockland County has the 9th highest per capita median income of any county in the entire United States.
Is there a Cosmo de Medici somewhere out there who will help us? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to go out and look.