JERSEY CITY — New York Yankee great Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over until it’s over,” and this much may be said of the city’s plans to award a management contract to AEG Live for operations at the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre. A petition drive has been started to support The Friends of the Loew’s, a volunteer group, to continue operations it has done since 2004.
The city’s move to replace the management was bolstered by a June 11 court ruling that determined that Friends of the Loew’s does not have a valid lease – a decision FOL says it intends to appeal.
The petition located at Change.org called “Upload the Friends of Loew’s Lease to maintain Loew’s Jersey Theatre as a true arts center serving our community and region,” hopes to sway Mayor Steve Fulop into continuing the ongoing relationship.
Colin Egan, president of FOL, said the city has failed to live up to promises it made back in 2004, contributing to the inability of FOL to make the theater fully operational.
“We can’t even bring the balcony up to code,” Egan said. “And that accounts for half of the seats we would need for a major act to consider using us as a venue.”
In an agreement expected to be voted on by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA), AEG Live has agreed to pay $350,000 annually to rent to the city over 30 years and put $3.5 million into renovating the 85-year-old theater.
Friends of the Loew’s start petition drive
