The Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany's Delaware Avenue neighborhood is poised to re-open in April.
A neighborhood staple for generations, The Spectrum shut down in February. Landmark, a national chain that owns similar smaller movie houses, had operated the theater since 2015. On Friday, Scene One Entertainment owner and CEO Joe Masher announced operations will resume in April.
"I do have many grand plans," said Masher. "First and foremost is to get it open. We are looking forward to an April 24th reopening. It'll be a charity event. Just as I did up in the Wilton Mall. We have not selected the charity yet. But we'll show basically the Spectrum’s Greatest Hits, the biggest movies that ever played there in its history."
Masher, who grew up in Troy, owns nine other theaters across the country. He just reopened the movie theater at the Wilton Mall in Saratoga County under the Scene One banner.
He promises the re-opening will "bring back everything that ever made the Spectrum special."
"On day one, we'll have the art gallery back in the lobby, we'll have all of the candy case full, with different selections, including pastries, and cookies, mint brownies, etc," Masher said. "I've been entrusted with the famous Spectrum secret recipe for brownies that have not been offered there in quite some time. We will also make sure the theater is spotlessly clean and in good repair, and if the Capital Region supports it, then you know we'll do a large scale renovation down the road. But for now, let's just you know, get it open and operating."
Pizzeria Michelina, also on Delaware Avenue, is co-owned by Mike Johnson, who can't wait for opening day. "We are ecstatic that the Spectrum is reopening. We were very sad to hear that it had closed when we when we heard about that. But we are ecstatic because a lot of our customers come down and get a slice of pizza or some pasta, either before or after the movie. So we are glad that they're reopening. But on a personal note, as someone who lives on Carroll Terrace, which is directly across the street, it's a place that I've been going to for years, so I'm ecstatic just for me. So when I have a day off, I can walk up to the movies again," said Johnson.
Masher says patrons can expect a full slate of snacks and refreshments along with special event programming. He pledges to continue the mix of arthouse and foreign films and Hollywood blockbusters that the Spectrum became known and loved for.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan says she is looking forward to mint brownies and "having real butter on the popcorn." She's hoping the coming weeks may bring good news about the Madison Theatre, another downtown arthouse that also recently shut its doors.
"It was reported a few weeks ago that the Stewart's that had closed on Central Avenue, the building actually sold for double the asking price close to a million dollars. And so we continue to see strong interest in the city of Albany, which is why it was we think about the future of that area of the Madison and the campus in the College of Saint Rose, we're going to be working hard to ensure that that gets put to reuse as quickly as possible," Sheehan said.
