Nostalgia Watch, Ganim Tours Shuttered Downtown Treasures

Majestic external
Majestic, now boarded up, in its heyday.

Want to inspire nostalgia as a mayoral candidate? You talk about the twin jewels, Majestic and Palace Theaters Downtown that have been closed for 40 years. Joe Ganim Thursday afternoon toured the  boarded-up treasures that were once magnets for entertainers and patrons. Ganim said he will be discussing the future of the theaters, which were shuttered during his more than decade as mayor. Several ideas have been floated for the theaters, including a performing arts center, but it will cost a fortune to renovate and incorporate into a sustainable venture.

Majestic stage
Images inside.

Majestic balcony

0
Share

23 comments

  1. *** Time to knock the old eyesores down and think more realistically about moving forward into the future with the kind of business that will bring tax money, jobs and people to the downtown area. ***

    0
    1. Listen to Mojo. It’s hard to think of the future when you’re fixated on its dilapidated past. Take all the photos you want, then knock ’em down. Nowadays, even demolition is expensive.

      0
      1. What does Bridgeport need more, a major economic draw for the city center or another addition to its inventory of vacant lots? Sorry Mr. Smug Suburbanite, but your advocacy for the destruction of my city’s architectural heritage blatantly ignores the success of city after city across America, where the restoration of historic movie palaces has been a major catalyst in turning around the fortunes of downtown and changing perceptions of the city as a whole.

        Seventy-five years ago Trumbull was an agricultural town that provided the Bridgeport area with fresh, locally produced food. After World War II this country entered upon an ill-conceived scheme to replace the farms with tacky suburban sprawl and import all our food from the factory farms of places like Chile and California.

        I think we should talk about tearing down Trumbull and starting over the right way, not embarking on your crusade to turn the dense, architecturally fascinating city of Bridgeport into a pile of rubble while you enjoy your unsustainable lifestyle.

        0
  2. Waterbury took advantage of state funds and renovated the theaters. They are spectacular. Ganim did nothing with them during the most prosperous Clinton days. Bringing attention to the theaters as well as the entire downtown during the Ganim era is a huge “mistake.” Downtown was a horror for 12 years. John Fabrizi and Finch got that rolling. Maybe people just need a visual of Downtown Bridgeport during Ganim’s 12 years. Twelve years of what?

    I give Ganim great credit for knowing how to make news. Everything he is doing is exactly what I would be doing! Exactly to a tee. He is also a little lucky, so far his opposition has not figured out how to keep up and I am totally stupefied!

    I believe Foster will surround herself with aggressive marketing people and a personal scheduler and secretary who will make sure every issue is addressed as well as face time on television. I have a lot of faith in Mary-Jane Foster as well as Mayor Bill Finch. People are watching and waiting. I totally support Mary-Jane Foster but Ganim could not have done a better job daily making news! This needs to be addressed immediately.

    0
  3. The man is either delusional or a habitual liar. The theaters fell further and further into decay under his watch. But he was too busy condemning properties across the street as part of his corrupt criminal enterprise to even think about restoring these buildings. And shame on Bob Halstead and Charlie Brilvitch for playing along with this sick charade.

    0
  4. Bob, it was under Ganim the roof and gutter system was installed on the theaters along with asbestos removal. So shame on you for not getting your facts right. What is your idea for the theaters?

    0
    1. What’s the difference between public safety and a public eyesore?
      Answer: don’t ask Joe Ganim–he knows little about either. Ganim’s phony police substation hasn’t increased public safety and his public eyesore is still deteriorating despite his ill-timed investment and a nostalgic visit.

      0
  5. The fact of the matter is, these theaters can be torched and go up like a matchstick at any time. The City treasure these are would be destroyed like the train station in 1979. Under my direction, the Council appropriated $30,000 for installing an alarm system and doing some cosmetic cleanup. The money is just sitting in the OPED budget and David Kooris could care less about implementation. This “charade” was my idea in order to get some attention drawn to this urgent situation and Joe Ganim listened to me and responded. This is the kind of thing he does and is why I have supported him.

    0
    1. Halstead, at least you admit it was a charade and Ganim was foolish to listen as he had done nothing to renovate these theaters in the 12 years he was in office whereas the town of Waterbury has renovated the sister theaters that now have become a real attraction for Waterbury. I think Caruso was the only politician in the past two decades who has attempted to bring attention to the theaters. Mary-Jane Foster would most likely be the best candidate to address these theaters.

      0
  6. These theaters, in their day, were beautiful. Now they are eyesores, unfortunately. Time to think towards the future, they sit at the entrance to our downtown and they are rotting away, time to move on. They remind me of the Shakespeare theater in Stratford, beautiful in their day, but now they are a waste of prime real estate.

    0
  7. Mary-Jane Foster has the wisdom to accept new ideas and appeals to all Bridgeport voters. Joe Ganim is stuck in the past and seeks to capture the imaginations of the handful on the bus.

    0
  8. *** The money and time needed to restore these sites would cost much more than to knock down and rebuilt something much more feasible that would help bring life back to the downtown area! ***

    0
  9. These theaters need to be renovated and incorporated into a modern downtown. Perhaps a charter school for the performing arts. The city needs to enhance its arts and entertainment. Knocking down these spectacular theaters would be a travesty.

    0
  10. The theaters are amazing. Though whether or not they can be renovated is beyond the machinations of campaign rhetoric. These flourished at a time before there were so many competing markets. The cost of renovation is factored as how long it would take to sell tickets and fill seats to make them pay for themselves. That would take a very full schedule of programming with fairly packed houses over a long period of time. Or subsidies, underwriting or a wealthy patron who remembers the good ol’ days. Anything is possible, but not possible once they are torn down. So putting a roof and gutters on was a good start. Old theaters looking for a new start? Old mayor in need of a job, putting on a superb, ghostly, job of acting while auditioning for the part.

    0
  11. I am sure Ganim toured these theaters years back when he was first running for mayor then as well, and he didn’t do a damned thing for them them either!!! Nor has anyone else done anything about them since then. Instead, all he did was plant trees on esplanades just as the current administration mostly builds “pocket parks.”

    Downtown Bridgeport, north of Fairfield Ave, looks like Berlin after WWII!!!

    0

Leave a Reply