Business & Tech

Teaneck's Cedar Lane Cinemas to Reopen

New owner plans renovations at Teaneck movie theater.

A new operator has been found for the shuttered Cedar Lane Cinemas in Teaneck, and the theater is set to reopen in the coming months. 

Dennis Gralla, a real estate consultant for the landlord, said the new tenant signed a lease Wednesday and the landlord would countersign shortly. 

"It's a done deal," Gralla told Patch. 

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Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin said efforts had been underway to find a suitable tenant to keep a movie house in Teaneck. The landlord had also sought to maintain the space as a theater. 

"I am thrilled that the movie theater where I watched my first movie is going to be reopened," Hameeduddin said. 

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Matthew Latten, a 26-year-old from Long Island who co-owns The Sayville Cinemas, in Sayville, N.Y., told northjersey.com he had signed a lease for the space Wednesday. The theater was expected to open by July 1 under a new name, Teaneck Cinemas. 

Latten plans to renovate the space to include digital projectors, new bathrooms and lobby, and seating, the report said. The theater will show new releases and 3-D movies, and Latten plans to invest $500,000 into the facility. 

“The whole business plan is centered around being family-friendly, family movies, cheap ticket prices and a friendly atmosphere,” Latten said in the report. 

He could not be reached for further comment Wednesday. 

Judy Distler, co-founder of the Teaneck International Film Festival, said a grassroots effort of business owners and residents had formed to save theater, and would be "thrilled" by the news. 

"I think it's great for Teaneck, and for folks beyond Teaneck, great for the film festival, and great for movie lovers who have been missing the Cedar Lane Cinemas and will certainly support the new and improved version," Distler said. 

News of the theater's reopening came about a week after an ex-waiter from the nearby closed Louie's Charcoal Pit told Patch he would launch a new diner-style eatery on Cedar Lane later this month. 

Cedar Lane Cinemas, which opened in the 1930s, has changed hands over the years before the last operator, Majestic-Star Entertainment. The theater closed in December, citing the high cost of upgrading to a digital projection system. 

Teaneck’s only movie theater was a fixture in the area, attracting moviegoers with its cheap ticket prices while driving business to area merchants. 

 

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Updated 6 p.m. Wednesday 


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