What's next for CinemaStar?

We'll have a short story in Tuesday's paper on the future of CinemaStar, or perhaps more accurately, the movie theater that has been known as CinemaStar.

Don Gee, deputy director of the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency, said the people at CinemaStar still have the ball in their court. It's still their right to assign the lease to another party. San Bernardino officials have the power to ratify any such deal.

Earlier this month, a Los Angeles-based company called Maya Cinemas appeared to be ready to take over the Cinema Star, which is on Fourth Street downtown. On Sept. 15, he City Council, acting in its capacity as Community Development Commission, had an agenda item to allow for a Los Angeles-based company called Maya Cinemas to run the movie theater. However, the issue was withdrawn from consideration.

The EDA owns the theater building and land where CinemaStar did business downtown. Gee said the EDA collects $82,000 per month and officials have recently attempted to make things easier on CinemaStar to keep the theater in business.

If CinemaStar defaults, that would clear the way for the EDA to find someone new to run the theater. Gee said officials have conversed with potential tenants.

"People have called us, and we've called them," Gee said.