Norwood Cinema Placed on Public Foreclosure Auction Block Following Bankruptcy Shutdown and License Battles
NORWOOD – The lone movie theater within town limits, the Norwood Cinema, is scheduled to be sold at a public foreclosure auction this coming Friday, raising the immediate possibility that the shuttered entertainment venue might eventually reopen under new ownership.
The theater property, owned by Irwin A. Cohen, permanently went dark in December just before a formal bankruptcy petition was filed in U.S. District Court. Prior to its financial collapse, the Norwood Cinema became deeply embroiled in local controversies regarding the screening of X-rated motion pictures. The venue additionally faced an intense local court battle over legal charges stemming from allegations that management was operating the theater without a valid Sunday license.
The upcoming public auction is scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. Friday directly at the commercial building located at 109 Central St., which serves as the physical site of the theater itself. The formal mortgagee’s foreclosure sale encompasses the entire commercial block situated near Washington Street. In addition to the cinema facility, the land parcel contains two active local storefronts: the Peek-A-Boutique and Charles Men’s Styling Salon. Both the boutique and the styling salon plan to continue running their respective businesses as regular tenants on the 12,300-square-foot property following the conclusion of the auction.
Legal terms of the foreclosure specify that the ultimate sale will remain subject to an existing first mortgage. Prospective buyers will be required to tender a $10,000 deposit at the time of bidding, with the remaining financial balance due in full within 14 days. Official legal notices detailing the public auction have already been distributed to numerous theater operators throughout Greater Boston, as well as to the primary creditors of Mr. Cohen.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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