Updates to the Facade and Interior Are Ongoing at Southampton Cinema, Which Will Stay a Cinema

The fate of the Southampton movie theater, one of the most iconic buildings in Southampton Village, has been a subject of fascination and curiosity, with rumors and conjecture flying about what billionaire developer Aby Rosen — the owner of Hill Street Cinema LLC, which purchased the building last year for $8 million — plans to do with the space, shrouded in scaffolding and construction materials for months.

While Rosen has been tight-lipped about those plans, it appears that the iconic cinema, once it reopens its doors, will return to being a staple in the community for moviegoers of all ages and interest levels, according to a statement on the website, southamptoncinema.com.

“The Southampton Cinema has been one of the main anchors of the village center and an important cultural landmark,” the statement reads. “We are committed to returning that tradition and bringing back a better cinematic, entertainment and community experience to the newly restored and improved theater.

“The Southampton Cinema will continue to be a venue for today’s box office hits and offer the best of new, old and independent films. The theater will serve as a community playhouse and provide an exciting variety of programmed events. It is important to us to create a venue that honors the tradition of Southampton Village and brings new energy and vitality to the heart of the village center for all to enjoy.

“We look forward to sharing our vision and plans with you as they develop,” the statement concludes.

Thus far, the work that has been permitted and ongoing at the theater — which has been surrounded by scaffolding since September — has focused on making repairs to the exterior, including the facade, which was landmarked by the Southampton Village Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation earlier this year, and renovating and cleaning up the interior.

Builder and developer Jay Bialsky, who is listed as the agent for the owner on all the Village Building Department documentation, applied for building permits in June, and they were issued by the village in July. Since then, various contractors have been working on repairing “rotted” exterior trim, peeling paint and missing architectural details on the exterior of the 14,582-square-foot building.

Interior work has focused on mold remediation, including the removal of theater seating and carpeting that had become moldy during the many months the building has been shuttered. Installing a new HVAC system and getting the electrical system up to code also have been prioritized.

Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger said earlier this week that while he has not spoken with Rosen in roughly two months, he said he’s aware of the work that’s been ongoing, and said the fire marshal has been reviewing the plans as well.

“My understanding is that [Rosen] wants to bring the theater back online by next summer,” Manger said, while reiterating that he has not been privy to any new information directly from Rosen on that specific front. “That’s just my supposition. I don’t think he’d be doing all this work if he wasn’t heading in that direction.

“I think you could expect him to put out some updates in the new year,” Manger continued. “I could see, in the new year, that they’d put something out. I haven’t spoken to him about that, I’m just guessing. That would sort of make sense.”