Last week, Bow Tie Cinemas backed off plans to build a movie complex at One Monument Square in Troy. There's still a chance an "ultimate theater" will be built in the area.
When Troy Mayor Patrick Madden announced that plans were scrapped “as a result of multiple and ongoing legal actions brought by a neighboring property owner against the city,” it came as a blow to those who had anticipated the long-vacant site could be redeveloped into a local attraction, including Republican City Council President Carmella Mantello and her challenger, Democrat Gary Pavlic. Mantello says "while it may not happen at that site, potentially, another site in Troy. You never know," while Pavlic seems to agree: "Lawsuits were just piling up, I understand. I hope they find another place in Troy or they find a way to resolve it."
A lawsuit filed by developer Sam Judge apparently permanently halted plans to build the 11-screen theater at One Monument Square.
Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse seized the moment, using the media to publicly appeal to Bow Tie Cinemas to take a look at the Spindle City instead. "...if Bow Tie is listening to the radio, we are asking you to come to our city and walk with us and look at all of the great opportunities..."
It didn't take long for word to reach Troy native and Bow Tie CEO Joe Masher. "I had a great conversation with the mayor, and we're coming up to look in two weeks, I'll be up there so I have a great meeting set up with Mayor Morse. I'm looking forward to it."
But Masher isn't ruling out the possibility that the Ridgefield, Connecticut-based Bow Tie could still construct a movie house in Troy. "I haven't lived there for awhile, but still very close and have a lot of family and friends up there so I'm up there quite a bit. I'm really thrilled with what's gone on with the city in the last five years and was hoping to be able to do this exciting project in my hometown. There are sites that we're looking at. Yeah, I don't know that they work exactly for us. It's all going to depend on, you know, the walkability and the visibility and proximity to parking garages, et cetera."
Masher says Bow Tie has also been contacted by Albany County and other municipalities since the Troy deal fell through. Should an alternate location be found, Masher says a state-of-the-art complex would be built using Bow Tie's "ultimate theater" design concept, featuring fully reclining chairs and other amenities, and would be the first of its kind in the Capital Region.
