{"id":128370,"date":"2026-02-10T03:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T03:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/128370\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T03:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T03:33:16","slug":"village-trustees-select-developer-to-consider-proposals-for-picture-house-and-gas-station-residents-urge-preservation-of-historic-cinema-picture-house-board-to-hold-open-house-next-week-pe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/128370\/","title":{"rendered":"Village trustees select developer to consider proposals for Picture House and gas station; residents urge preservation of historic cinema; Picture House board to hold open house next week \u2013 Pelham Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Village<\/a> <\/p>\n

Is \u201cThe Last Picture Show\u201d finally coming to the Pelham Picture House?<\/p>\n

Fans of the local institution hope not, but the recent disclosure that the Village of Pelham Board of Trustees has identified a preferred developer to discuss the future of the blighted gas station property beside the 105-year-old cinema has triggered concern that a plan for new apartments could gobble up the historic showhouse.<\/p>\n

Some of that concern emerged during the most recent meeting of the Village of Pelham Board of Trustees, where two residents urged the panel not to approve any development that would change the historic movie theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Picture House is a quintessential Pelham monument,\u201d said Nathan Pereira during the January 27 meeting.\u00a0 \u201cIf this board thinks that building another apartment building on top of it and putting the theater in the basement like they do in the city is going to be something that attracts [people] to our town, I think you\u2019re way off board. And I think every trustee should be on record as to whether they would even consider that or not. My personal opinion is it would be very detrimental \u2026.to have the Picture House taken down for an apartment building of any size.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another resident, Suzann De La Pena, spoke about the impact of greenlighting a major construction project on an area of Wolfs Lane that used to be under water.\u00a0 \u201cWhat concerned me is \u2026 is that there was going to be a basement construction project for parking and that there would be over 1,000 feet of digging to create this space,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"The announcement sent out by The Picture House last week<\/p>\n

Village Mayor Chance Mullen told Pereira that the board had not stated that they would entertain a proposal to take down the Picture House. He explained that the sale of the long-closed gas station at 163 Wolfs Lane, right beside the Picture House, meant that a developer could build an apartment building on the lot. He also pointed out that Picture House management has met with developers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that the Picture House has been talking to developers about how they can reimagine their space,\u201d Mullen said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been having that conversation since before I moved here in 2012, right? Ever since they bought the thing and saved it from being torn down and turned into a bank, they have been trying to figure out how can we make better sense of our own footprint so that we have a sustainable theater. Because the truth is it\u2019s challenging to run a theater that has a 300-seat, one-room movie screen, right? So we knew that there was going to be some activity. And before that activity came to us, what we thought was, \u2018Listen, if somebody comes before us and builds there, not only could we end up with a project that we don\u2019t think is good planning, but there\u2019s also problems with the zoning map itself.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Mullen talked about the possibility that the two remaining gas stations beside the lot at 163 Wolfs Lane might also sell to a developer, which spurred the trustees to seek proposals for potential development last May.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis moment that we\u2019re at right now, we don\u2019t know what it\u2019s going to be,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only thing that we asked of all the developers was: think scale, think about something that over time we can sort of overlay a master plan and then we can decide, do we want to do 1 lot, 2 lot, 3 lots, 4 lots? How do we want to think about this for the best possible impact for the community itself?\u201d<\/p>\n

De La Pena pointed out that there is no local statute that protects landmarks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the Picture House isn\u2019t a landmark, let\u2019s be clear,\u201d said Mullen. The mayor said that when the historic fire station was taken down to make room for the new apartment house under construction across Fifth Avenue from the Municipal Center, a small museum-like display of the old fire station, noting its history, will be part of the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea what\u2019s going to happen with the Picture House, but the marquee is considered historically significant or, or something like that,\u201d Mullen said. \u201cSo I think that that the marquee has to be preserved.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the meeting, the Pelham Examiner asked Mullen if the Village had identified a specific developer for this project. He said that the board had not, but that more information would come at the next meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, February 10. According to the agenda posted today for that meeting, the trustees plan to consider a resolution to enter into an agreement with PHP Partners LLC as a potential developer.<\/p>\n

While the mayor insists that there is no redevelopment plan at this time, the village posted a request for qualifications (RFQ) last May seeking developers who could work with the trustees and develop a feasible project that would include the Picture House and potentially the three gas stations just north of the theater. The property of the former gas station at 163 Wolfs Lane was sold to James Smithmeyer of JMJ Contracting and Development in December for $2.1 million, according to Houlihan Lawrence Commercial. The other two properties are still operating as gas stations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Village of Pelham is seeking to enter into a public-private partnership agreement to facilitate the expansion, redevelopment, rehabilitation and future operations of the Pelham Picture House a\/k\/a, the Picture House Regional Film Center, a historic movie theater located in Pelham, New York,\u201d according to the RFQ<\/a>. \u201cThe Village seeks to transform the Pelham Picture House into a unique regional center for the arts, and to transform the surrounding properties into residential housing with a commercial or community use component.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the January 27 meeting, Mullen said, \u201cWe know that the Picture House has been talking to developers about how they can reimagine their space.\u201d Mullen said the board would \u201ctake their opinion very strongly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Picture House is planning to hold a series of meetings with its supporters, starting with an open house on February 17, to discuss \u201cthe changing landscape of moviegoing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping to explain the way the movie system works,\u201d said Clayton Bushong, executive director of The Picture House in an interview. \u201cThis is the first of many check-ins with the community regarding the Picture House.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bushong said he has been following the disclosures made by the trustees, but \u201cnothing has been decided\u201d by the village as far as he can tell.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Picture House is an important part of the community,\u201d he said. \u201cThe responsibility we have is to keep that alive. We have an institution to protect.\u201d<\/p>\n

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