The longtime Roslyn Cinema, closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, is being transformed into a modern retail space while preserving key elements of its historic character.
Developer Kevin Dursunyan and his wife, Margaret, who are both Roslyn residents, purchased the four-screen theater. The Dursunyans said they wanted to maintain the building’s integrity while creating a functional space for new tenants.
“We wanted to save its integrity but bring it up to a modern space where it could be utilized as retail,” Kevin Dursunyan said.
The redevelopment includes a fully renovated facade, a redone marquee, and updated poster boxes. Inside, the approximately 9,000-square-foot building has been completely gutted and modernized. The space features two stories, an elevator, and a preserved projector room enclosed in glass.
Rather than dividing the building into multiple retail units, the Dursunyans said they are seeking a single tenant to occupy the full space.
Kevin said the location is ideal, as it is the first building seen when driving into the village of Roslyn alongside the town’s clock tower.
“We wanted to make it so that it’s nice and clean… we don’t want people to see the first thing as an abandoned movie theater,” he said.
Parking remains a challenge for the site, and the developers said plans to address it have not yet been finalized.
The couple also said the project is intended to complement Roslyn’s evolving downtown retail scene, which has recently welcomed businesses such as Van Leeuwen, Sweet Harbor Coffee, and Okaru.
“This is a unique location, and it’s one of the most gorgeous buildings in town,” Margaret Dursunyan said. “We want to preserve the integrity of the town while bringing in a new generation of businesses.”
The Roslyn Cinema, which had struggled to attract audiences in recent years, has remained vacant for four years. The Dursunyans said the transformation marks an opportunity to revitalize the building while respecting its legacy.
