Bluelight Cinemas could close by end of this month
Owners say maintenance costs have gotten out of hand for their ‘labor of love’
CUPERTINO » Bluelight Cinemas, the discount movie theater and community gathering venue at the Oaks Shopping Center, could close as early as the end of this month, according to its owner.
Art Cohen, who owns and operates the three-screen theater with his wife, said it needs too much maintenance and repairs to continue operating. Since the shopping center is going to be redeveloped anyway, Cohen said it’s not worth spending money on a building constructed in the 1970s that will likely be knocked down in the future.
Cohen said the building’s roof was damaged by heavy rainfall and the HVAC system needs replacing.
“The cost of maintenance of an old building has gotten out of hand for us,” he said.
The theater on Stevens Creek Boulevard opened in November 2009 with the aim of providing affordable, family-friendly movie outings. Tickets are $5 before 5 p.m. and $6.25 after. The theater shows second-run films and the occasional rare film or documentary not commonly found in mainstream theaters.
The Oaks Theater had been vacant for a few years before his family renovated the interior, Cohen said.
“It’s been a labor of love,” he said.
Shopping center owner KT Urban has pitched multiple redevelopment plans featuring a “boutique” fivescreen movie theater, but Cohen said Bluelight Cinemas likely isn’t “part of the plans.”
KT Urban principal Mark Tersini said that Oaks ownership has “done everything we can to work with Bluelight Cinemas and would have liked them to have stayed. But they were delinquent on their rent and they notified us of their desire to terminate the lease and vacate the premises. They made a business decision and we respect that. We have met and exceeded our responsibilities as owners. The tenant also has responsibilities, both financial and for the property, and must meet these for the owner-tenant relationship to be successful.”
The Cohens have been a fixture in the community since film projectors started rolling. The family has worked closely with schools, the city, the library and the Cupertino Library Foundation to host events.
Cohen said the theater has provided a lowcost venue for fundraising, school field trips, independent filmmakers, film festivals and celebrations such as birthdays, weddings and engagement proposals. It has played host to Silicon Valley Reads events, science fiction events and cultural exchange activities such as Chinese, Indian, Assyrian, Iranian and Israeli film screenings.
In recognition of their community involvement, the Cohens were issued a “certificate of appreciation” by the Cupertino City Council last week.
“There’s been just a tremendous outpouring of support for community events from your establishment,” Vice Mayor Darcy Paul said.
Meanwhile, redevelopment continues to be in the cards for the shopping center.
KT Urban is tentatively scheduled to return before the council on Nov. 21 to share an updated project proposal.
KT Urban officials appeared before the council in August to present two major renovation plans for the center, located near Highway 85 and De Anza College.
Both options included 69,500 square feet of commercial space. One option proposed 605 residential units; the other proposed 270 residential units, plus a 170-room hotel and 280,000 square feet of office space. Both plans included a 27,500-square-foot movie theater, 42,000 square feet of ground floor retail-commercial space, a 4,000-square-foot community center, transit center, three levels of underground parking and below-marketrate housing units.
Neither proposal received rave reviews from the council and KT Urban resubmitted a modified application in mid-September.
Revisions include a reduction in height for the proposed office building from 88 feet to 65 feet and an increase in below-market-rate units from 20 to 25 percent. The company is also scrapping the mixeduse residential option and offering just one plan.
In November, KT Urban expects to request permission to submit a proposal for formal staff review, which could take more than a year, according to Tersini.
“We have strong support from the community and the center is tired and needs to be replaced. We have a plan that is a mixeduse plan that meets the needs of today and the future,” Tersini said.