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Amato Opera Theater Plan in Doubt with Property Still on the Market

The Amato Opera building at 319 Bowery, near East Second Street.
The Amato Opera building at 319 Bowery, near East Second Street.
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DNAinfo/Patrick Hedlund

By Patrick Hedlund

DNAinfo News Editor

EAST VILLAGE — The fat lady may already be singing for a plan to reopen the Amato Opera building on the Bowery as a dinner theater.

Although the proposal was approved by Community Board 3 last month, the building's landlord is still listing the property on the market for $22,500 a month in rent.

Enrico Ciotti, who owns V Bar in the East and West Villages and is attempting to open the dinner theater, said negotiations are continuing but did not indicate that a deal had been finalized.

“Everything’s moving along,” Ciotti said. “That’s my vision, so I’m really pushing for it.”

His plan — which consists of a reimagined theater, dining area and bars spread across the 4,000-square-foot space — already won support from Board 3 in its bid for a liquor license, which Ciotti said he needed to make the business viable.

Calls to the building's owner, Steve Croman, were not returned.

Ciotti himself cast some doubt on his project, which he initially said would take at least a year to be realized.

“It’s a big project, it takes a lot of money,” he added. “We’re in the process now of making sure we have everything. I really only have the best intentions for that space.”

A source close to the negotiations said that a deal to bring a tenant to the space is close to being finalized, but could not comment on whether Ciotti is the primary tenant being considered.