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3 September 2007
Starlite
Drive In For Sale:
It's been a few
months since posting my last update, so my thanks to everyone for
their understanding and who've been patiently waiting on information
about the future of the Starlite. I've waited this long for a couple
of reasons: 1. It's been an exceptionally busy summer and just
haven't had the time to maintain the site and; 2. There just wasn't
any new information to publish. It's also helpful to understand that
my affiliation with the Starlite is limited to being the volunteer
webmaster and friend of Bob Groves, so I have very little insight
into what's going on behind the scenes with the estate. I did
however recently receive this message, which will likely be of
interest to the greater community who knew and loved the Starlite:
| REQUEST FOR
BIDS
This firm
represents the Estate of Robert Groves who died on March 9,
2007, owning two adjacent tracts of land at the intersection
of East Geer Street and East Club Boulevard, off Exit 279 of
I-85 North, and formerly operated as the Starlite Drive In.
The properties
are described in Book 2762 at 719 (re-recording from Book 1568
at 120 and Book 1581 at 756), and 2867 at 506, Durham
Registry.
The combined
tracts contain 10.843 acres/ 472,341 square feet more or less,
and recently appraised at a date of death value of $1,180,800.
The appliance
repair store on the corner is on a month-to-month lease. No
other structures on the property are occupied or under lease.
Bids are
requested in two categories: First, bids providing for an
immediate closing on or before October 5, 2007; Second, bids
providing for a closing within 24 months. Any potential buyer
may bid in either or both categories.
Please respond
in writing to Thomas H. Eagen, 4 Consultant Place, Durham, NC
27707, fax number 919 490 6296. |
As I had mentioned in a
previous post, this $1M+ figure for the sale of the theater & land
was expected. Though I don't contend that this figure does in fact
represent fair market value for the property, it is well out
of reach for any reasonable "Save the Starlite" community effort,
which is heartbreaking to say the least.
On another note, we've
received suggestions about pursuing some type of Historical Landmark
protection for the Drive-In. This was actually one of the first
avenues explored shortly after Bob Grove's passing, and we learned
from the nice folks at the The Historic Preservation Society of
Durham that this requires the legal consent of the owner of the
property. Since the estate is in probate, there is no owner to give
consent! Further, with the price being asked for the property, it's
unlikely that the new owner will care about historic preservation of
the site, likely buying it for redevelopment.
Oh, and if you haven't
come across it yet, please note that the
Durham Screen Savers
site is up and ready! Many thanks to Stephen White (of "The
Big Blog" fame) for putting this together. I would ask that
moving forward all commentary and discussion take place on the
Durham Screen Savers
site, as my time to update this site and respond to questions is
very limited these days.
Bob Cirillo
Starlite Webmaster
3 September 2007
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20 May 2007
Since updating this site a few weeks ago, we've received a flurry of email
from friends of Bob Groves and fans of the drive in alike. Thank you to
everyone for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes during this difficult
time.
One persistent
rumor we'd like to address is that the Starlite Drive In has been bought
by Walmart. At the present time, the Starlite, and the land it occupies is
not for sale, so the rumor is completely unfounded. There IS a Walmart
Supercenter being built on Glenn School Road, one exit away away from the
Starlite's Club Boulevard site, so perhaps that's how the rumor got
started. With regards to the estate of Mr. Groves, and any potential
future sale of the property, no new information is available at the time
of this writing.
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8 May 2007
So what's
going to happen with the Drive In?
The Starlite has
been closed since Bob's passing in March. Due to complexities with
his business and personal property, the estate will likely take some
time to sort out. The unfortunate reality however, is that we will
likely loose another Durham landmark to history.
Having
purchased the theater and land in the 1980's, Bob ran the Starlite
on a shoestring budget, mainly as a labor of love. Now, 20 years
later, the value of the land that the Starlite occupies is
significantly greater than any potential revenue of the theater
itself. Such was the fate of thousands of other drive ins across
America over the past 40 years - growth and greed gobbled them up.
The Starlite
was one of the few survivors - but now with its dutiful guardian
gone, only a philanthropist or foolhardy soul could possibly save
the Starlite from extinction. While I, and thousands of others would
love for this to happen, the reality is that it's not likely.
Bob Cirillo
Starlite Webmaster
8 May 2007 |
