To: ESL Federal Credit Union
Save the Monroe Theater!
ESL Federal Credit Union-
The Monroe Theater in Rochester, NY has languished in vacancy for almost two decades. Not only does it tear a hole in a vibrant commercial district, it also could provide the facilities to promote neighborhood performance arts and provide for community needs.
Our organization, Comedy Renovation Education and Empowerment Project, a 501(c)3 organization, is committed to helping communities establish and maintain Entertainment Districts, as the Monroe Corridor has traditionally been.
Built in 1927, the Monroe Theater, located at 585 Monroe Avenue, started as a burlesque- but most Rochestarians know it as a movie theater. In the 1940s and 1950s, it was the first-run theater in Rochester for Gone with the Wind, Oklahoma, and The Sound of Music. In 1970, it became an adult theater, and was until 1996.
The neighborhood around Monroe became a cultural district, the nexus of counterculture in Rochester, as well as the home of the hippies, the punk rockers, and the "gayborhood."
After a final decade in business as a Show World, the theater has been vacant since 2008.
In the interests of creating a comedy theater and a community center, Comedy Renovation Education and Empowerment Project is asking ESL Federal Credit Union to:
1) Foreclose on the Theater's debt
2) Donate the building and property to Comedy Renovation Education and Empowerment Project, a registered 501(c)3 centered in Rochester.
The Monroe Theater in Rochester, NY has languished in vacancy for almost two decades. Not only does it tear a hole in a vibrant commercial district, it also could provide the facilities to promote neighborhood performance arts and provide for community needs.
Our organization, Comedy Renovation Education and Empowerment Project, a 501(c)3 organization, is committed to helping communities establish and maintain Entertainment Districts, as the Monroe Corridor has traditionally been.
Built in 1927, the Monroe Theater, located at 585 Monroe Avenue, started as a burlesque- but most Rochestarians know it as a movie theater. In the 1940s and 1950s, it was the first-run theater in Rochester for Gone with the Wind, Oklahoma, and The Sound of Music. In 1970, it became an adult theater, and was until 1996.
The neighborhood around Monroe became a cultural district, the nexus of counterculture in Rochester, as well as the home of the hippies, the punk rockers, and the "gayborhood."
After a final decade in business as a Show World, the theater has been vacant since 2008.
In the interests of creating a comedy theater and a community center, Comedy Renovation Education and Empowerment Project is asking ESL Federal Credit Union to:
1) Foreclose on the Theater's debt
2) Donate the building and property to Comedy Renovation Education and Empowerment Project, a registered 501(c)3 centered in Rochester.
Why is this important?
Our intention is to
1) Restore the Monroe Theater, inside and out, to occupancy and use, maintaining Landmark Status
2) Establish a Comedy Theater in the old Monroe Avenue Entertainment District at the Monroe Theater
3) Continue and expand our comedy shows, which we have been doing for the last two summers right next door
4) Establish community functions at the Theater, including a neighborhood Code Blue Location
5) Establish a weekly Mental Health Open Mic
6) Establish a Youth Program
The purpose is to add the vibrancy of an important Rochester neighborhood, while also supporting its traditional identity as an Entertainment District.
1) Restore the Monroe Theater, inside and out, to occupancy and use, maintaining Landmark Status
2) Establish a Comedy Theater in the old Monroe Avenue Entertainment District at the Monroe Theater
3) Continue and expand our comedy shows, which we have been doing for the last two summers right next door
4) Establish community functions at the Theater, including a neighborhood Code Blue Location
5) Establish a weekly Mental Health Open Mic
6) Establish a Youth Program
The purpose is to add the vibrancy of an important Rochester neighborhood, while also supporting its traditional identity as an Entertainment District.