Owner Albert Bialek closed the Metro Theater in 2006 due to its 'obsolete' nature, unable to compete with larger multiscreen cinemas, leaving Upper West Siders saddened by its closure after over 70 years in operation.
Ira Deutchman and the U.S. representative of French film promoter Unifrance plan to revive the Metro Theater as the Metro Cinema Center, featuring five screens showing a mix of movie classics, foreign films, independent hits, and blockbuster releases, along with plans for an education center and a welcoming café/lounge.
Previous attempts to redevelop the Metro Theater building into a gym or Alamo Drafthouse cinema have been made, but the current proposal by the Upper West Side Cinema Center, supported by celebrities and well-known figures in the film industry, is considered the most developed effort thus far.
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