Forum Theater - Metuchen, NJ - Vintage Movie Theaters on Waymarking.com

The Forum Theatre on Main Street in Metuchen opened in March 1928, at the end of the era of silent movies and the beginning of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. The building was constructed by local businessmen, James Forgione and H.A. Rumler, who named the theatre by combining the first three letters of their last names.

The theatre was in constant use well into the 1980s showing first-run movies. In more recent years, several factors have combined to make the operation of the theatre more challenging: the HVAC infrastructure is beyond its lifespan and subject to constant breakdowns; because of the changing technology of movie projection, the Forum’s equipment would require very costly upgrades in order to continue to show first-run movies; and the theatre faces severe competition from surrounding mass market cinemas. In spite of these challenges, the Forum has continued to operate, but it is increasingly less active. It has been placed on the market for sale, and there is local concern that if the building is sold, it will be replaced with housing and/or commercial development.

The Borough of Metuchen signed a contract to purchase the Forum Theatre and plans to incorporate a rehabilitated theater into a new Metuchen Arts District that will include a restaurant and other spaces to enjoy the arts.

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In 2019, the mayor signed a purchase contract to acquire the theater from Marloe Enterprises Inc. for $1.399 million. The Lowery family had owned the theater for 37 years.

The acquisition of the historic 1927 theater was made possible with a $3.5 million grant from Middlesex County, the largest single grant Metuchen has received from the county.

The Metuchen Arts District would include the Forum Theater along Main Street and the corner of Amboy Avenue, the site of an abandoned gas station. The acquisition of the theater is the first major step in the borough’s proposed creation of a Metuchen Arts District, which officials announced in August 2018.

The proposed arts district would include a renovation of the 450-seat Forum Theater and the conversion of the gas station next door into a contemporary indoor-outdoor event space and dining area called “Spot.”

Busch has said the proposed arts district would not only restore the Forum Theater and create an art hub, but also create potential sustainable revenue which would lead to greater economic development and benefits for Metuchen and Middlesex County through parking fees and advertisements.

The mayor explained that since the space would be a public entity, a special concession liquor license could be considered for an interested restaurant group.

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Year Theater Opened: 1928 Number of Screen(s): 1 Web site: [Web Link] Ticket Price (local currency): Not Listed Matinee Price (local currency): Not Listed Concessions Available: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
Must take a photo of the theater.
Please try to include yourself or gps in the picture.
Tell of your experience at the theater, if it is still a theater. If it is no longer a theater tell of an experience from the past at the theater, if this can be done.

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