Von Lee ruling leaves some residents upset

The Von Lee Theater won't be showing another new movie for at least 15 years after Monroe Circuit Judge Elizabeth N. Mann ruled in favor of Kerasotes theaters Monday.\nThe decision comes after a group of Bloomington locals, led by Chris Sturbaum, took Kerasotes to small claims court when it placed a 15-year restriction on the building after selling it to Jay Michner of Artemis LCC, the current owners.\n"(The ruling) is like a bad call in a basketball game," Sturbaum said. "The foul was called, and whether it happened or not, it changed the outcome of the game."\nMann made the decision, citing it was not unreasonable or unlawful for Kerasotes to protect their investments in their other two Bloomington theaters. Sturbaum and others were trying to prove the Showplace 11 and Showplace 12 Theaters were overcharging based on trade restraint and diminished local competition.\nA Kerasotes representative restricted comments to "we think the judge's decision was correct, and it was what we expected all along."\nNevertheless, Sturbaum and the members of "Save the Von Lee" stand by their claims.\n"Our arguments all still hold, but this change has put the ball in the University's court," Sturbaum said. "They are the only players left who can do something beyond the proposed use for (the Von Lee)."\nThat proposed use for the theater comes from Michner and Artemis LCC, who wish to turn the abandoned theater into a restaurant-bar. A ruling from the Monroe County Alcoholic Beverage Board is expected to come on the issue by March 3.\nDespite the decision, Sturbaum isn't giving up his fight to "Save the Von Lee." Kerasotes owner Tony Kerasote was open to allowing movies over a year old to play in the theater, which wouldn't be an unreasonable option, Sturbaum said. With this in mind, Sturbaum and the members of the "Save the Von Lee" campaign see many different possibilities for the building that lead them to be "frustrated at (the court's) lack of vision."\n"I think the University needs to step up," he said. "This could be so good for the University and the community. You can envision film festivals that tie the community to the University and debut video work of kids in the filmmaking department."\nSturbaum will be going to a Historic Theater Initiative Conference where the Von Lee will be one of the national topics. He also cited a similar situation that arose in Rockland, Maine, where the courts made the exact opposite decision.\nDespite all the arguments for why the Von Lee should remain a theater, Michner still feels the decision was a logical one.\n"I don't think anybody can make a go for a theater at that place," he said. "Parking is horrible, and the lobby is very small … It is a good piece of property for a lot of things, but I don't think a theater is one of them."\n-- Contact senior writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.