Landlord looks to evict Uptown Theatre from the property
The famed Uptown Theatre in Minneapolis is facing eviction.
Lagoon Partners, LLC, filed an eviction complaint with Hennepin County on May 18, saying the operators of the Uptown Theatre – Landmark Theatres – owe more than $340,000 in unpaid rent, operating expenses and fees.
The base rent, according to the lease included in the suit, was $18,333.33 per month from April 2020 through May 2021. The Uptown Theatre is also supposed to pay a share of operating expenses - about $4,876.47 per month - plus fees for late rent payments, and additional fees associated with legal action.
On May 4, Lagoon Partners, LLC sent the Delaware-based company that owns Landmark Theatres a notice, asking for payment in full by May 17. Lagoon Partners, in the filing, said it never received the money, so is asking the court to let it retake possession of the property - essentially kicking Landmark Theatres out of the space.
The Uptown Theatre is a longtime staple of Minneapolis, with its inception dating back to 1916, when it opened as the Lagoon Theatre. A fire in 1939 resulted in the entire theatre being rebuilt, including the addition of the iconic 50-foot-tall tower atop the building.
Landmark has operated the Uptown Theatre since 1978.
Its doors have been shuttered since March 16, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Together we will emerge from this as an even stronger Landmark family and community," the theater wrote on Facebook in May of last year.
The nearby Lagoon Theatre, also operated by Landmark, resumed limited showings in February.
Bring Me The News has reached out to Landmark Theatres for comment.
