Monsey's longtime drive-in movie screen is gone. See what will be taking its place.
MONSEY — The landmark Monsey drive-in movie screen came tumbling down this week to make room for a proposed 5½-story office building off Route 59.
While the drive-in has not hosted an outdoor movie for more than three decades, the property has stood out as an eyesore and parking lot, with trees growing against the movie screen and weeds rising from the cement.
The property became a sanctuary for abandoned cars, homeless squatters living in the vehicles, and, at one point, a staging area to hold thousands of chickens for the Orthodox Jewish community’s Kapparot ritual performed during Yom Kippur.
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The drive-in in Monsey once held 1,500 cars and was built and opened by Harry Appleman on Sept. 8, 1955. The drive-in closed in 1987.
The highly congested area has changed with Orthodox Jewish businesses sprouting up along the Route 59 corridor of Monsey, not far from the main business strip along Route 306. A plan floated more than a decade ago for a Walmart on the site drew massive protests.
Office building could cost $40M
Town Square Development, LLC plans to build an office building on roughly 6.5 acres of the 21.9-acre parcel that once was the drive-in.
The remaining acreage will remain vacant for the time being, said attorney Ira Emanuel, who oversaw the development through Ramapo land-use boards. The parent company, Arcadian Cap Group LLC, would need a zone change for housing, as the parcel is zoned for commercial use.
The property will provide 422 parking spaces, as well as crosswalks to the adjacent Town Square Shopping Center, Emanuel said. The indoor shopping center was converted several years ago from Pathmark and Rickel's stores and features the Evergreen supermarket.
The building's height would match the 77-foot high screen.
Construction is scheduled to start next year, as the taking down of the screen marks a baby step in the development scheme, estimated to cost $40 million.
Emanuel said the developer hopes to draw local and regional tenants from New Jersey and Westchester County. The complex hopes to advantage of the local growth in businesses and the trend of businesses moving out of New York City since the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 and creating flexible work locations and schedules.
The proposed office building has access to bus transportation on Route 59 to major train hubs.
A congested stretch of Route 59
Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht said the office building will be good for the Monsey area, noting it's located in the "heart of the Monsey business district" and next to the strip mall anchored by the Evergreen supermarket.
"The site has been vacant for as long as I can remember and known as an eyesore," Specht said. "This redevelopment is good for the area and fits the commercial zoning.
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The stretch of Route 59 by the shopping center has been become a high volume traffic area, with many people walking and pushing baby carriages. The road heading west has lacked sidewalks for years. Nearby is an apartment complex and the Monsey Post Office.
The office complex could add to the traffic pouring onto Route 59 heading east or west.
A road rage incident in 2017 brought urgency to making repairs and adding better walking conditions to the area. A driver was accused of killing a baby boy in a stroller when he drove on the shoulder of Route 59 chasing a taxi driver whom he believed had cut him off.
Specht said an office building would add less to the congestion than other uses.
People working in offices stay in their offices for the most part," he said. "They may go out for lunch. There are places to eat nearby. Shoppers provide a continuous flow of traffic."
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal. Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Monsey development to follow movie screen demolition
