2005/06/15 Council Agenda Packet

Theatre Owners Interviews were held with high executives of the three major legitimate theatre organizations. All were very emphatic about the deleterious effects of the presence of adult use stores near their theatres and in the neighborhood in general. They stated that these uses "scare away audiences", and were not good for business. One respondent believed that one of his well-equipped and otherwise competitive theatres could not compete for bookings because of its location near 42nd Street's porn strip. That Is, he could not obtain rentals for productions,_ and was forced to create projects of his own to keep the theatre from staying dark. All three,' Including the owner of that theatre, mentioned the' direct negative effects of the presence of -an adult use "establishment right next door to the Martin Beck Theatre: - Despite the fact that this theatre now houses -a musical hit, the owners describe complaints'. from patrons about the. adjacent sex -establishment. Complaints were voiced about the "unpleasant" atmosphere on the western'edge'of the `streets on which their theatres were sited; West Forty Fourth Street and West Forty Seventh Street. One respondent, with a more than twenty year history of theatre operation in the area, was unequivocal in his view that the presence of these establishments hurt business. From the days of massage parlors in the 1970s to the video stores of today and the resurgence of topless dancing establishments, there has been a continuing pattern of deterioration of facades, sidewalks, and blockfronts—a pattern damaging to theatregoing. He believed that low-level drug dealing and prostitution could be linked to the presence of these adult entertainment places, and that the presence of even one such store on a street is negative: " ", The other two theatre executives believe that the more concentration of porn businesses you have, the more It hurts property values: While they did "express concern for free speech considerations, they were.all quite critical of the negative effects of the appearance of these stores, which they say -,contributes to blight. These exhibitors asserted that -Broadway theatre and restaurant patrons are a class of people who are discouraged bytthe prospect of.vvalldng through pornography - filled streets. The respondent from a nonprofit theatre located In Times Square, not immediately near adult use businesses, did not express major problems or complaints related to such places. He recognized, however, that many of his patrons parked their cars west of Eighth Avenue, and that many of his promotions included dining on Restaurant Row, but he cited no specifically perceived negative effects.' ` The theatre owners stated that the incidence of crime has declined in the Times Square area, and that the area is cleaner and safer, its negative raffish image has improved markedly, But they were concerned about Eighth Avenue, about vacant stores, and about uses such as porn stores that were incompatible with theatregoers. 40 EVER00226