The sale comes as a surprise to many.

One of the more popular wedding venues in the Hudson Valley has announced that they've sold their property for an undisclosed amount to a company that plans to turn it into a motion picture production studio.

According to a press release from the Bonura Hospitality Group, owners of Anthony's Pier 9, they've entered into contract to sell the venue and are expecting the sale to close sometime in June.

Owner Joseph Bonura Jr. did point to the COVID pandemic as a prime reason for selling. Anthony's Pier 9, located on route 9W in New Windsor, has been one of the premiere wedding and special event venues in the Hudson Valley for 40 plus years.

Pier 9 was the cornerstone of the Bonura family business since 1980 and will host its last event on June 13 2021. Boura Jr said, "Unfortunately the sale of the venue means that Anthony’s Pier 9 is unable to host events on-site after June 13."

If you have booked a wedding or scheduled an event for after June 13, Bounra Jr did say, "We hope that we will be able to host them at one of our other locations for their memorable events."

The Bonura Group owns and operates numerous other locations across the Hudson Valley including, The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, West Hills Country Club in Middletown and a new outdoor venue on the Newburgh waterfront near Bonura’s Blu Pointe restaurant. Bonura Jr did say that if clients made any pre-payments for a future date and would like a refund, that is also an option.

All Anthony Pier 9 employees will keep their jobs and the Bonura's plan on hiring some 400 more people in the future.

As for the future plans for the location, the purchaser plans to covert it into a 70,000-square-foot movie production studio and according to Amanda Dana, Orange County’s Director of Tourism and Film, that'll mean numerous economic opportunities created by the new use as a film set.

Dana said, "The positive economic impact of film production is enormous, and without a doubt, provides hundreds, if not thousands, of skilled jobs locally. It also puts much needed revenue back into the local economy."

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