BRISTOL - The owner of the Pastime Theater in Bristol and the non-profit group that wants to buy it appear to agree on several key issues. Both would like to see the Bristol landmark renovated and preserved as a center for performing arts and cinema.

They also concur that this type of facility would become a community asset and a great benefit to the town and surrounding region. They even see eye to eye on a price for the building and land it occupies on Bradford Street.

What they don't agree upon is the value of some of the theater's furniture and fixtures. The owner — Albert Bilodeau — wants to be paid for the equipment and the prospective buyer — the Pastime Theater Foundation — thinks it should be thrown in for no additional charge.

After many months of negotiations, the two sides have reached an impasse. The two had originally agreed on a purchase price of $325,000. Mr. Bilodeau explains this figure is less than the lease option price transferred to the foundation by the theater's most recent operator, Nathan Frizzell. He said that Mr. Frizzell's lease allowed him to purchase the theater for $350,000.

Mr. Bilodeau also said that the property had been recently appraised for $500,000 and that he decided to accept the lower price and consider the difference a tax-deductible contribution to the foundation.

The disputed amount is $5,000, which he wants for film projectors, popcorn machine and other theater paraphernalia. He asserts the amount he expects to receive for the equipment is fair and that it is valued for much more.

"I'm not trying to rip anyone off," he said.

The foundation maintains that its intention is to purchase a "working theater." Since the equipment is necessary to make the theater operate, they contend that it should be included with the building and land.

Mr. Bilodeau indicated that he expected to hear from the foundation by Monday, Nov. 10, to find out if they would meet his price. He said that they did not call. Since the group missed the deadline, he plans to offer the historic building for sale on the open market through a real estate broker.

Gary Watros, who serves as the foundation's communications director, was at a loss when he learned that Mr. Bilodeau had not received a reply.

"There was a counter-offer submitted on Monday," he said, which was sent through the group's attorney. He speculated that the Veterans' Day holiday may have delayed the message. The negotiations for both sides, recently handled by lawyers, had been "very slow," he said, noting the usual pitfalls of working through a third party.

He hopes that Mr. Bilodeau reconsiders his decision once he learns of the foundation's newest proposal. This new offer would allow Mr. Bilodeau to keep some of the disputed equipment.

Hanging in the balance of this complicated situation is the fate of the venerable old movie house — one of the last remaining downtown theaters in Rhode Island. It was constructed on the site of a prior theater, also called the Pastime, which was built as a church in 1784 and destroyed by fire in 1934. The "new" Pastime replaced it that same year. Its silver screen has played host to Hollywood's best films for nearly 70 years.

The Bristol Pastime Theater Foundation, formed earlier this year, hoped to purchase the building and raise the nearly $2 million needed to renovate its interior and restore its exterior appearance. The Bristol Town Council promised the foundation a $350,000 interest-free loan to help purchase the property.

Mr. Bilodeau said that the Pastime will be listed with Paula Silva of Century 21 Rondeau Associates for "$475,000 plus." He wants it to remain a theater, but suspects that it might be used for some type of housing such as apartments or condominiums.

"There is a need and desire for it," he said.

In the meantime, he will be winterizing the building and waiting for a buyer who will meet his price.

Pastime Theater Foundation president John Vaughan still remains cautiously optimistic. He thinks that the two parties may be able to ultimately resolve their differences.

"Everyone has been working very hard on this. I hope that something will break loose. We'll see," he said.

At a glance: potential Pastime Theater renovations

The Bristol Pastime Theater Foundation and the theater's owner, Albert Bilodeau, are close to reaching an agreement on the sale of the historic building. When the sale is complete, the foundation has proposed a number of renovations, including:

* Returning the theater marquee to its 1930s appearance;

* Painting the outside of the building its original color;

* Removing the wall that bisects the theater's auditorium;

* Refurbishing the auditorium to house main stage and 350 seats;

* Redesigning stage to accomodate live theater and dressing rooms;

* Constructing a second-floor area to seat 100 patrons.

The theater's recent history

The Pastime Theater opened to great fanfare in 1934 after a fire destroyed the previous theater. Lon Vail built the new building, which housed a theater for most of the next 70 years. Most longtime Bristol residents have memories of attending shows at the old theater, which became a two-screen complex in the 1970s, when a wall was built to cut the main theater space in two. The "Bristol Cinema" closed in the late 1990s, but the theater reopened in 2000.

October 2000: Nathan Frizzell enters into a three-year lease to operate the Pastime Theater. In place of the former Bristol Cinema, which showed second-run movies for $1.99 or even 99 cents, the Pastime shows first-run movies for about $6.

January 2003: Mr. Frizzell announces he can't continue operating the theater as a viable business; a group of citizens forms to begin researching whether the theater can be purchased and operated as a nonprofit community arts center.

February 2003: The Pastime Theater Project, now formally organized, secures grants and donations of $8,500 for research. The town council offers another $10,000.

August 2003: The Theater Project receives a big boost when the town council offers a $350,000 loan to be used to purchase the building from owner Albert Bilodeau.

November 2003: The Theater Project and Mr. Bilodeau reach an impasse. He removes the sign promoting the nonprofit project and plans to list the property with a Realtor.

by Lou Cirillo

CONTRIBUTING WRITER