Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
Theaters
-
December 3, 2009
Village Theater in Coronado will renovated, reopen as triplex
CORONADO, CA — Closed since 2000, it looks like the renovation of the Village will finally begin around April of 2010. Original announcements indicated that the work would be completed in 2009, but now grant financing has been secured, an architect engaged, and an operator has signed on to run the theater once the upgrades are completed.
An agreement between the city and Los Angeles-based Five Star Theatres guarantees the 9,000-square-foot movie house will be reopened in one year. In return for a Community Development Agency grant of nearly $2.7 million, Five Star Theatres has agreed to renovate and run the theater until 2026.
The Village Theater’s quaint facade, including the original ticket booth, the tall blade “Village” sign and terrazzo, will remain largely intact, but the main auditorium will be revamped by noted theater designer Joseph Musil into a three-screen cinema.
“Regrettably, we have to carve it up,” Five Star owner Lance Alspaugh said. “I’m not happy about it, but it was the only way anyone could have done it. The good news is we’ve retained a designer that is very impressive.”
Read more in Signon San Diego.
2 comments -
December 2, 2009
Raging fire destroys Historic Central Texas Theater in Hamilton
HAMILTON, TX — The nearly 60 year old Texan Theater perished in a fire last Friday.
The historic Texan Theatre in downtown Hamilton was destroyed Friday night by a raging fire that also damaged adjacent buildings.
Fire units from every Hamilton County department, as well as Jonesboro and Gatesville, in Coryell County and units from Erath and Comanche counties, battled the blaze into the early hours of Saturday morning.
Fire units and investigators remained on the scene at 110 South Bell St. as late as 10:30 a.m. Saturday cooling off hot spots and making a preliminary investigation of the scene.
Read the full story at KWTX.
-
Two more former Cinema North Theaters reopen in NY and MA
AUBURN, NY — The Movieplex 10 has now re-opened, operated by Jason and Jeff Yantz, whose father Bill, is also a theater operator. This was one of Cinema North’s theaters; the company shut down its operations in October, but some of its theaters are finding new management.
The new owners are brothers Jason and Jeff Yantz, who are taking on their first independent venture after years of combined experience in the movie business. They are sons of Bill Yantz, owner of Rochester Theatre Management, which runs the cinema at Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.
Jason Yantz said Monday that they will do some basic cleanup in the building, but much of the cinema will initially remain the same. There will be improvements within the next year throughout the facility, he said.
Here’s the full story from the Citizen.
In addition, the Movieplex 8 in North Adams, MA has also reopened; read more here.
-
December 1, 2009
Four proposals for Senator Theatre
BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), currently holding the keys to the Senator, has received four proposals from developers interested in the currently closed theater. Two of them would either focus on or provide for movie showings.
Local leaders still point to the Senator as a key neighborhood asset. The BDC specified in its request for reuse proposals that the property at 5904 York Road be used primarily as a “movie theater and/or performing arts venue” and complement the nearby Belvedere Square shopping area and Govanstowne business district.
“What I’d like to see go in there is something that continues to keep the Senator Theatre the economic heart of the York-Belvedere area,” said City Councilman Bill Henry, whose district includes the theater. “It has been our anchor business.”
This article in the Daily Record provides some detail.
-
Nonprofit group wants to buy the Rosendale Theater
ROSENDALE, NY — A group called the Rosendale Theater Collective has been created with intent of raising funds to purchase the Rosendale Theater, which opened in 1949. The theater currently offers a mix of film and live performances and has been one of the venues for the Woodstock Film Festival.
The Rosendale Theatre Collective is collecting tax-deductible donations under the auspices of the Children’s Media Project, which is located on Academy Street in Poughkeepsie.
The $20,000 is needed for a binder, which serves as a deposit in a real estate transaction. The total cost of the theater was not available.
Read more in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
-
$7.5 million in renovations converts Jefferson Theater to live music venue
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Opened in 1912, the Jefferson Theater which over its long history has been a vaudeville house and movie theater, will now be a music venue focusing on rock and country artists. Millions of dollars have been spent upgrading the building while restoring much of its original chararacter.
“We’re taking it back to the original purpose of the theater, which was live performances rather than films,” Kirby Hutto, of Red Light Management, told a tour group Monday as carpenters, electricians and laborers hammered, glued, measured and sawed. “It’s going to be really cool when it’s done.”
Former Jefferson owner Hawes Spencer, editor of the Hook weekly newspaper, said he is pleased with the results of the renovation and the return of live performances to the venue.
Read more in the Daily Progress.
-
November 30, 2009
Renovated Strand Theater in Tiptonville reopens
TIPTONVILLE, TN — First opened in 1915, the Strand Theater is reopening as a mixed use venue after a thorough renovation. Movies were shown there for many years and it later served as a Masonic hall.
Davis said the renovations wouldn’t have been possible without $80,000 worth of grants from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and the now-disbanded Kiwanis Club as well as generous donations from local building supply companies.
Citizens also purchased plaques for each of the 259 seats in the theater. At $50 each, the plaque fund-raiser generated another $12,950 for the renovations.
Now, Main Street is selling spots on a wall plaque in the lobby for $25 a name.
An article with pictures is here in the Star Gazette.
-
November 29, 2009
LAHTF: “Insider’s Peek #1 - Fox Theatre, Inglewood, CA”
-
November 25, 2009
Amigo Theater in Bemidji gets additional screen, new name
BEMIDJI, MN — The former Amigo nine-screen multiplex has become the the Bemidji Theater with ten. New amenities include a larger concession area, new seating throughout, and other renovations.
“People will really like the theater,” said manager Duane Black. “It’s a well-deserved update. It was a long time coming,”
Black said lobby area is considerably larger and the 72-foot concession area will help streamline congestion-three times larger. A time saver will be the self-serve pop machines, he said.
The full story can be read in theBemidji Pioneer.
-
Fox Cineplex in Banning, CA gets $1.3 million makeover
BANNING, CA — Built as the Banning Theater in 1928 and later named the Fox Banning, the Fox Cineplex has a a very thorough renovation, increasing handicapped access, improving the concessions area, and replacing the screens and sound system.
Frydrych said he believes the renovated movie theater will bring more people and new businesses to downtown.
“This is the jewel of Banning,” he said.
Work on the movie theater began in late August. Frydrych said workers might need to touch up the paint or do some additional grouting in the immediate future, but “nothing that will distract from the show.”
The full story is in thePE News.