|
Dedicated to reviving the Madison Theater as a cornerstone of community life and economic development in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Albany, NY. |
 |
|
||
|
||
|
Thanks to you we have many accomplishments to celebrate. Not only is the theater operating, but we have a coffee shop serving all ages of residents and providing an additional gathering space for the neighborhood. The College of Saint Rose sponsored a successful clean-up day for the Upper Madison blocks. A survey and design workshop planned and presented by the City of Albany with consultants from TAP, Inc. yielded a lot of ideas. We've also enjoyed our first evening of independent films presented in partnership with Upstate Independents. There's even work by local artists displayed in the Madison's window with help from 200 Proof Magazine.
In short, Friends of the Madison has made a good amount of progress in working on the mission statement we drafted 12 months ago:
"Dedicated to reviving the Madison Theater as a cornerstone of community life and economic development in Pine Hills."
We also have plenty of ideas that we are still working on, and we are interested in your feedback. Not only will there be a meeting to learn more about the City's "Designing Upper Madison" project, but we anticipate planning a "Friends" meeting or distributing a brief questionnaire to discuss your movie-going experiences so far.
Many thanks for your support and participation and Happy Anniversary to all!
So Close! The theater almost opened on Wednesday 5/18, but fate decided to intervene with a burst pipe on 5/17. Luckily the pipe was in an exterior space, not in the theater proper, so there's no damage to the Theater or to the brand new carpeting. But unfortunately, the Theater has no water pressure - so an opening 5/18 is not in the cards. We don't have a new date yet, it depends on how long it takes to correct the problem. Check back here for the latest.
Next Friends of the Madison Meeting Tuesday 5/24 7 PM
Note: The Parish Center is on the south side of Madison Avenue opposite St. Joseph's Hall on the St. Rose Campus. Parking is available behind the Center building, but you must get a permit inside and
place it on your windshield during the meeting.
Please join us as Friends of the Madison keeps working to make Upper Madison a vibrant commercial area to help support our theater!
This meeting will include a brief update on our activities and on the Theater renovations. Most of the meeting will be used for the first meeting of newly formed committees that the Steering Committee has recommended. See below for committee descriptions and start thinking about how you want to help!
If you can't attend but are interested in joining a committee, please contact the person listed for each group. Contact Lorraine Weiss at 462-5658,x12; lweiss@preservenys.org or Anne Savage at 489-7426; savageanne@aol.com with any questions.
Here are brief committee descriptions:
The Booking Committee will work with the new owners of the Madison Theater to assist them in making programming decisions. The Booking Committee will provide input for mainstream programming, as well as assist the owners in developing other forms of programming, including classic and independent films and film festivals. The Booking Committee anticipates meeting on a regular, ongoing basis. Contact: Call Christiana Limniatis at 459-2582 or sign up at bookingcommittee@yahoo.com.
The Merchant Committee will work with all merchants in the upper Madison area to support the Madison Theater and to make the area more attractive to customers. Work may include planning cooperative projects among merchants, developing marketing efforts and providing other types of assistance. Contact: Lorenz Worden; lorenzworden@netzero.net, 489-0866.
The Outreach Committee will build the foundation that underlies all of the work that Friends of the Madison does by ensuring that we have strong membership, community support and finances. Our work will include encouraging people to join and to participate, publicizing Friends of the Madison activities, developing and distributing Friends of the Madison merchandise, maintaining the website (www.friendsofthemadison.org) and much more. Contact Anne Savage, savageanne@aol.com, 489-7426.
The Upper Madison Design Committee will work with Madison Theater owners and other Upper Madison Avenue merchants, City of Albany and neighborhood residents to improve the appearance, safety and pedestrian quality of Upper Madison Avenue. Sample tasks include: 1. address issues such as building code enforcement, streetscape design, pedestrian safety; 2. monitor the City's Mid-Town Plan project and its potential impact on Upper Madison Avenue; and 3. work with Merchant Support Committee and other organizations to address trash, snow removal, plantings, etc. Contact: Lorraine Weiss, lweiss@preservenys.org; 462-5658, x 12; 369-8172.