fbpx
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Legal Notices
Lagniappe Mobile
  • News
    • Cover Story
    • Latest
    • Serial Stories
    • Bay Briefs
    • Community News
    • Open Documents
    • e-Edition
  • Baldwin
  • Commentary
    • Damn the Torpedoes
    • Hidden Agenda
    • Beltway Beat
    • The Real Deal
    • Weather Things
    • The Gadfly
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Cuisine
    • The Dish
    • Word of Mouth
    • Beer and Loathing
    • Cuisine Directory
  • Arts
    • Artifice
    • Art Gallery
    • The Reel World
    • Calendar
  • Music
    • Music Feature
    • Music Briefs
    • Music Listings
    • Submissions
  • Sports
    • The Score
    • The Starting Line-Up
    • From Behind The Mic
    • Upon Further Review
  • Style
    • Media Frenzy
    • Mobile Magnified
    • Horoscopes
    • Master Gardeners
    • Style Feature
  • Lagnia-POD

Select Page

Crescent Theater to close

Posted by Dale Liesch | Apr 5, 2017 | Latest, News | 5 |

The Crescent Theater Film Society announced today it will be unable to renew its lease at 208 Dauphin Street, meaning the theater will have to close.

Crescent Theater operator Max Morey confirmed the announcement shared on social media Wednesday afternoon. He said the closure comes after negotiations with the building’s landlord broke down over an increase in rent.

Crescent Theater Film Society board member Carol Hunter said John Switzer, the building’s landlord, was set to raise the rent to $2,200 per month and add an additional $500 per month in building expenses.

The theater society paid for rent last year with grant money, while Morey was responsible for utilities, Hunter said. She said the society applied for grants last year, after fundraising attempts — which have supplied money for rent since 2010 — proved fruitless.

In a phone interview with Lagniappe, Switzer said he’d “been taking a loss on the building for the last eight years,”

“I can’t afford to take a loss with the cost of the building” he added.

However, Morey said Switzer had also asked that he be removed as the theater operator during discussions about a new lease deal. While Switzer confirmed that had been discussed, he said it was Morey who initially offered to step down.

According to Hunter, Morey stepping down was part of a proposed lease agreement, though she said the society had no appetite to move on without him, even if money for rent was available.

“I don’t know how successful it would be without Max,” Hunter said.

Despite the setback, Morey seemed confident the theater would be able to move to another location since he owns everything inside the building.

“We’ll have to pack it all in a tractor-trailer and go to another building,” Morey said. “We don’t know where that’ll be.”

The society is less confident the theater will be able to move, Hunter said, although they are willing to consider all options. Right now, Hunter said, there is no money available to move it.

As for Switzer, he seemed to hold out hope that an agreement could still be reached. He said he loved the film society, adding there was “always room for negotiations.”

The last dates for the theater at its current location are still up in the air, Morey said they’d likely be sometime in May or June.

“This is very upsetting,” Morey said. “We don’t want to move ….”

This page is available to our subscribers. Join us right now to get the latest local news from local reporters for local readers.

The best deal is found by clicking here. Click here right now to find out more. Check it out.

Already a member of the Lagniappe family? Sign in by clicking here

Share:

Rate:

PreviousLagniappe: April 6 – April 12, 2017
NextEthics commission says Bentley violated law, recommends charges

About The Author

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch has been a reporter at Lagniappe since February 2014. He covers all aspects of the city of Mobile, including the mayor, City Council, the Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners, GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico and others. He studied journalism at The University of Alabama and graduated in 2007. He came to Lagniappe, after several years in the newspaper industry. He achieved the position of news editor at The Alexander City Outlook before moving to Virginia and then subsequently moving back a few years later. He has a number of Alabama and Virginia Press association awards to his name. He grew up in the wilderness of Baldwin County, among several different varieties of animals including: dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, a horse and an angry goat. He now lives in the Oakleigh neighborhood of Mobile with his wife, Hillary, and daughter, Joan. The family currently has no goats, angry or otherwise, but is ruled by the whims of two very energetic dogs.

Related Posts

Prosecutor: Prichard Water Board manager had six-figure salary, EBT cards

Prosecutor: Prichard Water Board manager had six-figure salary, EBT cards

March 7, 2022

Amtrak, Port of Mobile spar over timing for passenger rail arrival

Amtrak, Port of Mobile spar over timing for passenger rail arrival

February 24, 2021

Local teachers staying connected to students online

Local teachers staying connected to students online

April 1, 2020

Man who advocated killing of police officers arrested

Man who advocated killing of police officers arrested

July 20, 2016

Recommended Stories

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things

By Ashley Trice

Wordles can hurt us

By Rob Holbert

The Great Anvil Shoot of Laurel, Mississippi

By Andy MacDonald

ACAC steps to bat with new exhibit

By Kevin Lee

The Strays finally drop full-length album

By Stephen Centanni



  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contacts
  • Jobs
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Join the Sunday Brunch Newsletter

Search This Site

Browse the Archives

© Lagniappe Mobile 2022