FOL have proven themselves to be quite adept at renovating/running the theatre with zero money and a lot of opposition from city hall. Imagine what they could accomplish with an actual operating budget. Instead, now that there's the promise of added funds, Fulop is suggesting we wrest control away from FOL. That is just boneheaded thinking.

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Don't you think there's a bit of "chicken or the egg" there? It needs the money, sure. But if it was fully modernized it would be much easier to book events. Like I said earlier, other cities with large corporate presences get them to donate to their cultural infrastructure. I don't know who Benedum was in Pittsburgh, but you can be sure he gave a buttload of money for the renovation of that theater! (googled, it's regionally focused foundation http://www.benedum.org/programs/programs.shtml)

There's a lot of wealth in JC now, and not just developers. It's time for some cultural investment here not across the river, and not of taxpayers money. But our leaders need to make that clear.

What is special about the Loews aside from the building itself? It certainly isn't the programming. In it's current form, it's not much more than a magnificent cathedral. Okay if you also happen to be a worshipper of that particular religion (in this case, dated films shown a couple times a month to small audiences and small scale community events) but not much more than an upclose look at a wonderful old building if you aren't.

FOTL did a nice job of 1) preventing the Loews from being torn down and 2) restoration on a shoestring. But lets face it - what the Loews needs now isn't elbow grease. It needs money (in the tens of millions) and professional programming. FOTL has demonstrated they have neither - and the city doesn't have the money to spend (or borrow) to do it. And if the money is going to be spent, then why not put programming in there that appeals to the broader population and not a small group of fetishists?

My understanding is that the city has determined the lease was never valid. FOTL knows this and although they bluster in letters on their website to try to curry public sympathy, they know they have no argument if legal push comes to shove.

I think the city's desire to keep FOTL involved in programming is a show of good faith. Maybe the number needs to be more than 20 and a guarantee needs to be put in place for that number, but other than that, much of FOTL's case seems to be misguided.

I really hope the mayor backs off on this. Turning the Loews over to a big company to run will absolutely ruin everything that makes it special.

If the FOTL does not have dibs through it's lease, then I would support them submitting a response to the RFP. I've talked with some of the people involved and they claim that if the city would clearly state that they are committed to the FOTL as the theater's tenant, then they would be able to raise funds and operate like BAM or NJPAC. Can they? I don't know for sure but by all means give them a chance to make their case.

Last Saturday night I saw a show at the State Theater in New Brunswick, another classic theater also run by a nonprofit. It seemed to be doing fine. Perhaps FOL needs a shot in the arm, but I don't see why a for profit is mandatory.

Other cities manage to do this as a matter of civic pride, look at Pittburgh's Benedum Center, once the Stanley Theater where I saw the Clash and Squeeze, now the city's opera & ballet house. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedum_Center It just requires some of the corporations who plant themselves on our waterfront to pony up a little to the city they have made home, rather than treat it as a nether region not quite NYC but not a separate city either in their eyes.

I thought that the FOTL has the lease. Not sure how long it runs through but if it does, don't they have the right to occupy and use the property?

The City wants to turn the Loew's into a premiere entertainment center. That will require professional management. I understand this is bittersweet to those who have worked to preserve the theater in the past and who wanted to continue to direct its future, but the Mayor's obligation is to the city as a whole.

I'm very concerned about this. When I was thinking about purchasing my home in the JSQ area, the Loew's was a contributing factor in my decision to do so, even in it's current state of renovation and programming. I'd be very unhappy about any plan to revitalize the Loew's without the input of their obviously capable local stakeholders. The before and after pics are astonishing.

I think the FOL also runs the JSQ Farmers Market. I wonder what will happen to that if they're kicked to the curb.

I'm really disappointed with how Fulop is handling this.