Greenport’s movie theater, which closes for the winter every year, may keep the lights on next year, if an effort being spearheaded by Mayor George Hubbard bears fruit.
Hubbard told village trustees at last night’s monthly work session that Greenport Village Cinema owner Josh Sapan is willing to work with the village to keep the theater open year-round.
“He’s willing to let us use the theater rent-free, as long as we cover expenses,” Hubbard said.
The mayor said he’s going to work with village attorney Joe Prokop to figure out the best way to accomplish the goal.
“We have to figure out how we as a village and a community can set something up,” Hubbard said. “We can’t do it as the village, by hiring people to run it, but we have to somehow work this out so we can get the movie theater to stay open.”
Hubbard said everyone he’s spoken to about the idea, including a group at Peconic Landing where he gave a talk earlier this month, has reacted very positively.
Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said she posted a poll on Facebook and got “great feedback” on the idea. “People are very excited about it,” Hubbard said.
The mayor said he’d been approached by a local fuel oil vendor who offered to sell heating oil at cost. “And that’s one of the biggest expenses over there,” he said.
Hubbard said a year-round cinema would not only be great for village residents but for the whole North Fork, even the whole East End following the fire that destroyed Sag Harbor’s vintage cinema.
“Great idea,” Trustee Jack Martilotta said.
“Kids movies, please,” Trustee Doug Roberts said.
“We could arrange to have Saturday matinees,” Hubbard said.
He reiterated that he would work with Prokop on the best way to accomplish this from a legal standpoint and have further discussion with the building owner. It may require setting up a separate entity, like Friends of Mitchell Park, the mayor said.
“We’ll figure it out so we can get this done,” Hubbard said. “I want to thank Josh Sapan for being willing to work with us on this.”
Sapan, president and CEO of AMC Networks, purchased the theater in June 2004.