Police: Bellevue Theatre interior vandalized

BY ERIN ROLL
roll@montclairlocal.news

The Bellevue Theatre was vandalized some time last week, according to police.

A fire extinguisher had been discharged inside the theater; ceiling tiles, a light fixture and a theater seat were damaged; and some interior windows were shattered. The incident was reported to police by a theater employee on Friday, Jan. 31, police said.

Access may have been gained through an unsecured door near the theater’s fire escape, said Police Capt. Scott Buehler, but point of entry has not been conclusively determined.

Nothing appeared to have been stolen from the theater, Buehler added.

Theater owners declined to comment on the matter.

The Bellevue closed in November 2017 after Bow Tie Cinemas, the theater’s longtime tenant, opted not to renew its lease.

In 2018, it was announced that the Bellevue would eventually re-open under new management. The building’s new lessee, Highgate Hall LLC, is in the process of having the theater renovated and expanded.

The building management's renovation plans are currently before the zoning board about parking and seating. The proposal for the theater includes six movie theaters, a restaurant, a bar, and larger seating in the theaters, as well as additional restrooms and an elevator. At issue has been the number of parking spaces that would be required, although the 1912 theater has never had parking.

The plans will be heard by the zoning board in March.