ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ANNEX IN NEW YORK CITY TO CLOSE IN JANUARY

THE YEAR OLD NEW YORK CITY ANNEX TO CLEVELAND'S ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM WILL CLOSE 3.JANUARY. 2010. THE NEWS RELEASE ISSUED THURSDAY BY S2BN ENTERTAINMENT, A PARTNER IN THE VENTURE, GAVE NO REASON FOR THE SUDDEN CLOSER. MUSEUM CEO TERRY STEWART TELLS THE PLAIN DEALER NEWSPAPER IN CLEVELAND THE DECISION WAS MADE BY CORPORATE PARTNERS WHO HAD BACKED THE $10 MILLION ANNEX IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN. BACKERS HAD HOPED TO ATTRACT UP TO A HALF-MILLION VISITORS ANNUALLY BUT HAVE NOT SAID WHAT ATTENDANCE WAS. THE COLLECTION DISPLAYED AT THE ANNEX INCLUDES BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S 1957 CHEVY AND SEVERAL OBJECTS BELONGING TO JOHN LENNON. THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME SAYS SOME OF THE ARTIFACTS COULD BECOME PART OF A TRAVELING SHOW WHILE OTHERS WILL EITHER BE INCORPORATED INTO THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OR BE PUT INTO STORAGE FOR DISPLAY AT A LATER DATE.