Future of Sunnyside Center Cinemas building is unclear

Image source: Sunnyside Post

The Sunnyside Post reports that the building that houses Sunnyside movie theater – Center Cinemas – was sold and may eventually be demolished and turned into residential units. The 16,080 square foot building was sold in December 2012 by Dime Savings Bank for $6.675 million. The buyer is a new Astoria-based firm called 2-25 Queens Blvd. Corporation. The Center Cinemas owner, Rudy Prashad, put a $5.2 million bid on the property, but obviously it wasn’t accepted.

A rep from this corporation says they haven’t decided what to do with it yet.  But local real estate folks think it will be developed into residential units. Pashad – and many in the surrounding community – wants the property to continue to serve Sunnyside with the movie theater and neighboring PJ Horgan’s. Dime Bank will close this summer. And the movie theater got a recent boost with new screens, sound system and digital equipment.

The remaining leases are held by the movie theater until December 2014; PJ Horgan’s until June 30, 2018; and a dentist office until Oct. 31, 2014 (with a provision to extend it).

Sunnyside movie theater in danger of being demolished [Sunnyside Post]