Bijou theater eugene6/18/2023 ![]() 16, informing that the lease had been terminated. That was followed up with another letter, dated Dec. ![]() 15, the lease would end, and Jennings could terminate her tenancy. 7, informing Blonshteyn that if she didn’t pay overdue rent by Dec. Stone said Blonshteyn losing building access was communicated in advance, sending out a default of lease letter on Dec. She contends the management illegally locked the operators out without a formal notice and the owners and landlord refused to work out a reduced rate.īlonshteyn did not return requests for further comment Sunday and Monday. "Despite our efforts to pay a reduce rate to reflect the realities of the pandemic and the inability of the theater to function, the strident position of the landlord made it impossible to reach a reasonable and rational solution to a problem facing businesses all over the state, the country and the world," she said.Īfter visiting the theater in December to check her mail, Blonshteyn said in March she discovered that the locks were changed and that she couldn’t get in. She added that the landlords have refused to work out a reduced rate for rent payments that she said, combined with the financial challenges and forced closure during the pandemic, left them no choice but to close. Bijou Art Cinemas closes, building owners seeking new operator.Bijou Art Cinemas operator disputes the announcement of the theater's closing.Landlord, Bijou owners couldn't settle on a pandemic responseĬonflict over control of the Bijou was first reported by The Register-Guard in March, when the Jennings Group announced in a press release the theater would be permanently closed.īlonshteyn took issue with the announcement, saying she did not know about the business being shut down until reading the initial March 18 article. "It's true that Julie Blonshteyn and Catherine Moraetis no longer have anything to do with this property we will have exciting news for the community soon," Stone said. "This is a big loss for the culture of Eugene-Springfield."ĭarren Stone, a co-owner of the Jennings Group, which acts as the property manager, confirmed Blonshteyn and her business partner, Catherine Moraetis, were no longer involved with the business. ![]() "It was one of the first places to share LGBTQ+ positive storytelling, or to introduce plots that don't neatly follow conventional movie beats, or to bring the lives of people in foreign countries or isolated communities to brilliant life for us regular folks in Lane County," McDaniel said. The Bijou represented an important part of the Eugene-Springfield community, she said, as one of the only sources of independent movies that were not mainstream and blockbusters. ![]() Springfield resident Staci McDaniel, 44, said she remembers going to see "Dazed and Confused," when employees said those who "felt inspired" to smoke marijuana in the theater would cause the film to end, but that "smoke coming from the courtyard isn't as alarming, and none of us are going to tattle to the police." Past moviegoing attendees lamented the end of the business in emails to The Register-Guard , recalling fond memories of quirky films, dates that went wrong or led to lifelong partnerships, and more.ĬAFE 541: Lane County an emerging film industry destination 13th Ave., had been showing movies on its two screens since 1981. It closed at the start of the pandemic and never reopened. The Bijou, an independent movie theater in the Wilcox Building at 492 E. "I feel privileged to have been a steward for this beloved Eugene institution for the past eight years, but the current circumstances make continuing our operations impossible." "It is with great sadness that I must announce the closing of the Bijou Art Cinemas," theater operator Julie Blonstheyn wrote in a letter to its patrons on Friday. The operators of Bijou Art Cinemas announced they are permanently closing the iconic Eugene movie theater, following financial challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing disputes with its landlord, the management company Jennings Group. ![]()
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