Bloomfield Township

Maple Art Theatre closing, venue’s future unsure

By Chris Jackett
C & G Staff Writer

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Maple Art Theatre may have been scheduled to close yesterday, but plans are already in the making to reopen it under new ownership in the future.

The three-screen movie theater opened in 1974 at 4135 W. Maple Road and has spent the past 38 years showcasing independent and foreign films, as well as other limited-run films.

According to a Jan. 18 release from Landmark Theatres, which has owned the cinema since 1998, the Maple Art Theatre was scheduled to close at the end of January.

“Unfortunately, we have lost our lease and will cease operation at the Maple Art Theatre at the end of this month,” Landmark CEO Ted Mundorff said in the release. “It saddens us to leave this historical landmark, and we would like to thank our loyal patrons who have supported us for the past 13 years. We love the city of Detroit and will continue to operate the Main Art (Theater) in Royal Oak.”

One day after the Landmark release surfaced, Bloomfield Township resident Jon Goldstein took to the Web, stating he was reopening the Maple Art Theatre as Maple Theater after $1 million in renovations by his Bloomfield Hills-based Cloud Nine Theater Productions.

Bloomfield Township officials said nothing is finalized, and there was no clear contact info available online or through the township for Cloud Nine Theater Productions. Assessor Bill Griffin said he hasn’t received a property transfer affidavit and has not discussed the project with Goldstein.

“There’s been no PTAs. I’ve got nothing here in sales,” Griffin said. “If they were looking to make some changes, my guess is they’d be talking to us in advance, and they haven’t done that. I’ve heard nothing.”

Planning, Building and Ordinance Department Director Patti Voelker said the township hasn’t heard from Goldstein since December.

“Jon Goldstein has submitted a partial application for renovation of the Maple Theater,” Voelker said Jan. 27 via email. “Once a complete application is made, we’ll process the request to the Planning Commission.”

With an incomplete application and trips before both the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees all required before renovations begin, it could be a few months before Goldstein’s vision of the Maple Theater is set to open.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Chris Jackett at cjackett@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1110.