East Hartford Town Council Chairman Richard Kehoe said Thursday that the town has a potential buyer for the abandoned Showcase Cinemas property, which he’s hopeful would serve as a catalyst for changing the face of Silver Lane.
Kehoe said he couldn’t name the individual interested in the property as the town is still in negotiations. He said he expects the council will have discussions about the matter in the next few weeks.
He added that the individual has experience developing properties in a manner similar to the vision for the former Showcase Cinemas site: An area with upscale rental units with amenities surrounded by commercial development.
In January 2019, the town purchased the abandoned cinemas at 946 Silver Lane for $3.3 million and then in November of that same year the 66,000-square-foot building was demolished.
Before the town bought the property, National Amusements owned the 14-screen movie multiplex and did nothing with the blighted building since the cinemas closed in 2006, council members have said.
Kehoe said National Amusements paid its taxes but the building remained an eyesore. The building had significant infestation and water damage, mold issues and a failing roof before it was demolished, town officials have said.
“What we heard from the developer is that nobody wanted to go in and buy that site knowing that they would have to spend a fair amount of money taking down a building they would not use,” he said, explaining why the town chose to purchase the property.
This is not the first Showcase Cinemas that has experienced such issues, Kehoe said.
“As you look around a number of Showcase Cinemas are in the same boat,” he said. “The East Windsor site was a Showcase Cinemas, and they closed the building, boarded it up and they paid their taxes and did nothing about it.”
Mayor Marcia Leclerc said the town is “actively moving through the necessary processes,” referring to the potential buyer, but would not comment any further.
On Tuesday, the council is slated to hear from an expert on tax incentives for properties like the abandoned Showcase Cinemas site, Kehoe said.
