Motel owner group purchases Columbia Cinemas for $1.73 million, open to ideas

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Feb 18

By Tom Peterson

Old poster from Humphrey’s last day in January 2025 is still posted in window.

The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 18, 2025 — RADHAJI LLC has purchased Columbia Cinemas and its accompanying 4.32 acres from Bruce Humphrey who owned and operated the theatre for 29 years.

The limited liability company is made up of five members, according to the Oregon’s Business Registry, including Mahendra or “Manny” Patel, who is the current owner operator of Motel 6 at 2500 W. 6th St. in The Dalles.

We caught up with the ever affable Patel on Monday afternoon.

He said he had some interest from one business person in wanting to restart the Cinema, but the deal fell through.

“The movie market is kind of tough,” Patel agreed, noting many now opt to stay home as they can get first-run movies within a month or two of their release on platforms such as Hulu and Disney.

“If anybody is interested in running the theatre or has any other suggestion what to do with it, let me know,” he said. “Right now it is a work in progress.”

The single-story 14,000-square-foot cinema has four screens and a large lobby, and a 2- acre parking lot.

The purchase also included the 1.69 acres of raw land directly to the east of the theater.

Photo of the Cinema building with the accompanying land to the east.

Motel, Manny?

He said no - rather it was an investment property with a lot of potential - he was just not sure what it was yet.

“It has to be something different, unique,” Manny said of a business that would use the site. “You can’t copy someone else. Hopefully we’ll know something more by the end of the year.”

CCCNews caught up with artist and landscape designer Patrick Bowman who was walking his dog Princess outside the shuttered theater at 2727 W. 7th St. on Monday afternoon.

Bowman said the cinema might work well as a hub for galleries, performing arts, and indie movies.

Mixed with brew pub?

“Sure, why not,” he said. He also suggested that a mix of churches might make sense of using and or sharing the space. He pointed out the need for a youth center in The Dalles.