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Renovations
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January 25, 2010
New name for Flick
LEXINGTON, MA — As part of a restoration, the former Flick will now be known as the Lexington Venue.
The Lexington Flick is no more, but fans of the mom-and-pop theater have no need to worry. The new name is simply the latest in a long list of improvements owner Peter Siy has made to revamp a Lexington center favorite.
“We’re working every day to make this a better theater,” Siy said. “We have new seats. We just decided it was time to make a break with [the name] ‘Flick.’”
Read more in Wicked Local.
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January 22, 2010
Renovations to Casino Theater may be closer to launch though hurdles remain
WARE, MA — The owner, Fred T. McLennan, has fulfilled his obligation to construct a protective walkway, but actual work on restoring the Casino to cinema use has actually yet to begin. Back taxes still need to be paid before a construction permit can be issued. Twinned before it closed in the 1980s, the theater may actually be a century old.
Work to renovate the building is to begin on Jan. 30 and completed by Feb. 28, according to the agreement. If McLennan fails to do the work, he agreed that the town can enter the building, have work done and that he would be liable for all costs.
Tzambazakis said she is still hopeful that work will be done, but noted that the law requires the $10,390 in taxes be paid before a permit can be obtained.
Read more in The Republican.
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January 19, 2010
Rebirth of Page Manor
DAYTON, OH — Richard Mendel-Martin, Executive Director of Nouveau Cinema Group, Inc, a Dayton based 501 (c ) (3) non-profit corporation, has announced that his organization has successfully entered into a long-term lease agreement with Shottenstein Properties of Columbus, OH for the former Page Manor Twin Theatre at 5584 Airway Road in the Dayton Suburb of Riverside, near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The lease signing, representing several months of negotiations, is for a term lasting into the next decade. According to Mendel-Martin, The new name of the cinema will become The Page Cinema Arts Theatre.
The theatre originally opened around 1970 as a first run theatre by Century Theatres (New York) and was purchased by Chakeres Theatres (Springfield, OH) and converted into a twin cinema and was under their direction for another ten years. In latter years, the Page Manor Twin Cinema went through several ownerships and has been closed for the past several years. According to Mendel-Martin, “The cinema is in need of renovation, refurbishing and installation of new, state of the art equipment.”
In his opening announcement, Mendel-Martin explained, “Nouveau Cinema Group will begin extensive cleaning and remodeling beginning in late January with a planned grand opening slated for April 2nd, 2010. Freshly re-upholstered seats, handicapped accessible restroom, state of the art projection and sound equipment with ‘mirror-glow’ wall to wall screens are amongst the many improvements to be made to the new Page Cinema Arts Theatre. Even our remodeled concession area will feature whole-organic snacks, penny candy for the younger set, beer and wine as well as traditional popcorn and theatre snacks.”
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January 6, 2010
Fire-damaged Springfield Theater to become triplex
SPRINGFIELD, VT — In 2007, it was the site of the premiere of “The Simpsons Movie;” in 2008, an arsonist torched it. But now the Springfield Theater will be reborn as a modern triplex with nine apartments in the Ellis Block, the building that contains the theater.
But it’ll be another year before anyone can take in a movie downtown.
The theater and the rooming house above it, collectively known as the Ellis Block, remain boarded up.
Bill Morlock is executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority, the group that’s spearheading the project locally.
Read more at Vermont Public Radio’s website.
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December 23, 2009
Ritz Theater gets grants for repairs
BRUNSWICK, GA — The Fox Theater Institute of Atlanta has awarded a $30,000 grant to this town’s historic Ritz Theater, and the city has matched it with an additional grant of the same amount. The funds will be used to replace badly deteriorated windows and other improvements. The Institute provides consultative services to theater restoration projects and funds two grant projects in Georgia each year.
During heavy storms last year, water ran from the Ritz Theatre’s top floor all the way to the ground floors. A third floor window frame disintegrated, letting its big glass pane crash to the floor.
It was clear. Repairs to the Ritz Theatre’s windows could not be delayed any longer.
Read more at Jacksonville.com.
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December 9, 2009
Lebowsky Center owner gets break from the state
OWOSSO, MI — At the November 30 meeting of the Owosso City Council, city officials announced that the Michigan State Housing Development Authority has approved the extension of the Vibrant Small Cities grant to the Owosso Community Players giving them more time to use the grant money to help rebuild the fire-gutted Lebowsky Center.
During Monday’s City Council meeting, officials announced the Michigan State Housing Development Authority approved the city’s request to amend a Vibrant Small Cities grant to allow additional time for the reconstruction of the facility, which City Manager Joe Fivas said gives the city “the ability to move forward.”
According to the letter from MSHDA, the city must have an environmental review and execute a construction contract prior to April 30, 2010, and the expenditure and reimbursement of funds must occur prior to Sept. 30.
The full details can be found in the Argus-Press.
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November 4, 2009
Owner promises renovation of Los Angeles and Palace theaters if…
LOS ANGELES, CA — The current owner of the Los Angeles and Palace theaters has committed to renovate the Palace and Los Angeles theaters on Broadway if the city will build a new parking facility between 6th and 7th streets.
The project, which would require another $2 million in tenant relocation and $31 million in pre-development and construction costs, would result in several hundred new spaces for uses along Broadway.
While Broadway has a number of parking garages, a recent study showed that these structures are near 100% occupancy during the day. Many close at night, and several structures have recently made exclusive arrangements with residential properties.
Read more at blogdowntown.com.
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October 27, 2009
Owner of fire-gutted Lebowsky Center hopes to have theater enclosed again by winter
OWOSSO, MI — The Owosso Community Players, owner of the Lebowsky Center, hopes to have the theater, gutted by an arson fire (still unsolved) on February 14, 2007, enclosed again by winter. They are expecting an answer within a couple of weeks whether they would get a $350,000 to $400,000 grant to pay for enclosing the theater.
They are working with a construction company in Grand Rapids which restored the Wealthy Theatre there. The OCP is committed to completely restoring the theater which is estimated to cost $5 million to do.
Originally, OCP was hoping to reconstruct both the Lebowsky Center and the West Annex, but Peterson said the goal has narrowed.
“As we have refined the project, we feel that the priority is to rebuild the Lebowsky Center and that is the piece of the project we are focusing on,” Peterson said.
The grant’s approval would mean constructing a new roof and enclosing the center from the elements. The OCP has said it remains committed to a full restoration of the center – which is projected to cost about $5 million.
Additional info from the Argus-Press.
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October 23, 2009
Danbury’s Palace Theater to get architectural/management study
DANBURY, CT – The city of Danbury, CT has awarded a contract to JCJ Architecture to determine the cost of renovations to the Palace Theater which opened in 1926 and closed as a twin in 1995. The study will also provide a determination as to how best to operate the theater after renovations have been completed. JCJ and its associate, AMS Planning & Research Corp., have been involved in a number of theater renovation projects, including the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center and the New Amsterdam Theater in NYC.
And part of the firm’s larger team — AMS Planning & Research Corp. of Fairfield — has worked with many theaters in Connecticut and around the United States on theater management.
“We recognized from the beginning of this that no one firm could do everything,‘’ Elpern said of the combination of the two companies. "AMS has a wealth of experience on what’s needed to successfully operate a theater.‘’
Read more in the News Times.
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October 16, 2009
Wayne citizens rally to renovate, re-open theater
WAYNE, NE — “Project Majestic” has been launched to completely renovate and re-open the town’s former Twin Theater (also known as and listed here on Cinema Treasures as the Gay Theater). Closed since 2008, the renovated theater will be re-born as single screen theater with a stage to host community events as well as films.
Initially, fellow steering committee member Reggie Yates said, plans were to clean up the theater, maybe give it some fresh paint, and reopen it. But people decided, no, they’d still be left with the same old theater with the same old seats and the same dirty floor.
So the committee decided that the 50-year-old building’s interior would get a complete makeover. The theater will be handicapped-accessible and seat about 100 people in front of a single screen. Moviegoers will be treated to the latest in digital projection and sound. The seats will have cup holders — the one feature nearly everyone has asked about, Yates said.
Read more in the Sioux City Journal.