The Vision
The Architectural Plan
The Timeline
Community Impact
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THE VISION
The Uptown Film Center will preserve the landmarked facade of the Metro and transform this historic property into a vibrant cultural hub, bringing multigenerational and multicultural communities together through independent cinema, education, and shared storytelling experiences. As legendary film critic Roger Ebert profoundly noted, “Movies are empathy machines,” capable of transporting us into the lives and experiences of others.
Once completed, the Uptown Film Center will be the only full-time, nonprofit independent film destination north of 72nd Street — a cultural anchor that revitalizes the neighborhood, bridges divides through the power of cinema, and ensures film remains accessible, inclusive, and essential to community life.
The Uptown will also be the only cinema center in New York City to offer a comprehensive film literacy program for all ages. Educational programming will be designed to replicate model curricula that has been implemented successfully elsewhere—such as the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA, and the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY– while adapted to fit the local context and needs by working directly with teachers, school administrators, educational consultants and senior groups. Our first six-week educational pilot project took place in the fall of 2025 with 100 fifth graders, in partnership with PS84.
Until our theater is complete, The Uptown will partner with local venues, schools and organizations for film programming. Our first pop-up series, which ran in the summer of 2025 and included a free outdoor screening, was a great success thanks to collaboration with Symphony Space, JCC Manhattan, Maysles Documentary Center, JCC Harlem, Lycée Français de New York, and the Columbus/Amsterdam BID.
ARCHITECTURAL and OPERATIONAL PLAN
THE TEAM
Voith & Mactavish Architects was hired in the summer of 2025 to design the Uptown’s five-screen film and education center. Voith & Mactavish has extensive experience in designing and restoring historic movie theaters, including the Bryn Mawr, the County and the Ambler Theaters in Pennsylvania. They’ve also worked on several performing arts theaters.
Becker & Frondorf has been hired as Uptown’s owner’s rep, helping oversee the project from planning through construction phases.
Boston Light and Sound is consulting on state-of-the-art technical aspects for the theaters.
THE PLAN
Landmarked MEDALLION and FACADE
As part of the overall transformation of the property, Uptown Film Center will be preserving the landmarked terra cotta medallion and façade, and restoring them to their original Art Deco splendor. We hope to be able to remove the façade’s graffiti by the end of 2025.
“The Midtown’s striking polychromatic terra-cotta facade, with its stylized central medallion, makes this movie theater’s presence immediately felt in the context of the commercial structures of the Upper West Side along Broadway.”
—1989 NYC Landmark’s Commission Report
The MARQUEE
The Uptown is harkening back to the design of the original marquee when the theater was first built in 1933.
The LOBBY
Guests will immediately encounter a grand lobby entrance featuring a high-curved ceiling and terrazzo flooring, sharing the space with a café open to the public as well as movie patrons. The design of the concession and ticketing counter at back, and bar to the left, as well as wall details and curved mezzanine, recall the Art Moderne/Art Deco details of the mid- to late-30s.
The MEZZANINE/GALLERY
Accessible by elevator and stairs from the lobby, the Mezzanine will be a place for café patrons and theater goers to sit and relax. The wall gallery will be a place to feature historic photos and vintage posters. Two ADA-accessible restrooms are located here.
THE CAFE
Open all day, from morning continental breakfast to light meals and cocktails in the evening, the café will become a hub for the center and, hopefully, a destination for the community. Food will be fresh and affordable, with a range of dietary selections. As with the concession stand, we hope to be able to offer some locally sourced beverages and desserts! Guests can sit in the lobby café area or the mezzanine.
THE THEATERS
The design of the auditoriums is inspired by the asymmetrical parallel lines that adorned the original theater. All five theaters will feature state-of-the-art sound, comfortable seating, ADA accessibility for wheelchairs and walkers, and accommodations for people with sight or hearing loss. All of the theaters will be available for rental for private screenings.
- Theater 1–Repertory, Film Festivals
The largest of the five screens, Theater 1 will be dedicated to classic repertory films, film festivals and children’s programming, and equipped for digital as well as 35mm/70mm projection. We hope to be able to partner with several renowned film organizations that might benefit from having a screen for Uptown audiences, such as Film at Lincoln Center, the JCC’s Manhattan’s ReelAbilities festival, the Children’s International Film Festival and the Latin American Film Festival. - Theaters 2, 3, 4–New Indie, International and Documentary films
Three of the theaters will be used for first-run independent films, documentaries and international films–many of which may be playing simultaneously downtown or in Brooklyn.
Theaters 3 and 4, the smaller of the three, will also be used for move-overs of successful new releases from other Manhattan venues that deserve longer runs. - Theater 5—Education and Community
This room will be the heart of our educational/film literacy and community outreach programs for children and adults of all ages. It will have flexible seating to accommodate on-site classroom programming, community events, private parties. and specialized screenings.
THE TIMELINE
The timeline for completion of the Uptown Film Center is approximately three years.
April 6, 2025
- Property successfully purchased
April-September 2025
- Architect, engineers, and advising team assembled; planning commenced
- Uptown logo redesigned
October 2025 – December 2025
- First renderings presented of lobby, theater and marquee with new logo
- Some structural reinforcement /shoring up of building and marquee
- Removal of graffiti from landmarked facade
February 2026
- Finalize schematic design
- Put out job for contractor bids
November 2026
- Finalize Construction Documents
April 2027
- Complete Permits and Approvals
- Break ground
October 2028
- Projected completion of Construction
COMMUNITY IMPACT
The goal is not just to reclaim a building, but to revitalize a neighborhood and reconnect a community. The independent arthouse model we have adapted has proven to add significant value to communities in several ways:
- Economic Activity: Nonprofit arts and culture organizations, including cinemas, generate substantial economic activity. For example, in 2022, the nonprofit arts and culture sector in the U.S. generated $151.7 billion in economic activity, supporting 2.6 million jobs and providing $101 billion in personal income to residents.
- Job Creation: These cinemas create jobs not only within the organization but also in the surrounding community. This includes positions in hospitality, retail, and other service industries that benefit from increased foot traffic and tourism.
- Community Vibrancy: Nonprofit cinemas contribute to the vibrancy and attractiveness of neighborhoods. They can become cultural hubs that draw residents and visitors alike, fostering a sense of community and pride.
- Tourism and Local Spending: Events and screenings at these cinemas attract visitors who spend money on dining, shopping, and lodging, thereby boosting local businesses.
- Social Impact: Beyond economic benefits, nonprofit cinema centers enhance the social fabric of communities. They provide accessible cultural experiences, promote diversity, and encourage social connections.
JOIN US! SUPPORT THE UPTOWN CAMPAIGN
The Uptown Film Center has been a dream project from the start, fueled by the local community; by cinephiles; by people who want to see this historic, landmarked theater preserved; and by New Yorkers who understand what this cultural destination will mean for Upper Manhattan.
Your commitment at this stage will be truly transformative. Every donation, large and small, is essential to get us to the opening of this landmarked institution—hopefully by October 2028– but it will only happen with your help.
Find out how you can be part of the dream by helping create a new cinema arts institution on New York’s Upper West Side. All donations to Uptown Film Center are 100% tax deductible.
DONATE
Donations may be made online or by check; we accept Donor-Advised Funds; Securities or IRA transfers. Please consider going the extra step and identifying your company’s Matching Funds! For more information on these and other ways of giving, contact: development@uptownfilm.org, 646-876-2402