Southpark 3
Ben White and Woodward,
Austin,
TX
78745
Ben White and Woodward,
Austin,
TX
78745
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This theater was built in 1983 in the Southpark shopping center near Ben White and Woodward. The theater was the first with THX in Austin, and “Dune” was the first movie that ran there. The sound system was indeed very good, and the overall style of the theater was a upscale luxury theme. The theater was closed a few years later due to the expected expansion of Ben White, which ultimately didn’t begin construction until around 2003.
The theater sat vacant for a number of years, and was eventually torn down as the shopping center was reconfigured with the highway expansion.
Contributed by
Steven Rogers
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
Southpark 3 was built/operated by Presidio Theaters. When the State of Texas purchased the right-of-way for the new freeway (that did not start construction for another 15 years), Presidio ceased operating at that location. For a while after, a local live-theater group rented for their performances.
Some information on Presidio Theaters: At their heyday, Presidio Theaters operated the Southpark 3, the Arbor 4, and the Lincoln 3, among others. The screens were consistently top performers nationally, and until Presidio Theaters was bought out, Austin had more THX-equipped screens than anyplace outside of California. The Arbor even featured seating designed by Porsche Design. Further, Presidio Theaters did not go out of business. The company, Presidio, was primarily a development/investment firm, with the theaters one portion of their business. During a real estate boom in Austin, Presidio put out notices that they were looking for money for expansion. Norman Lear came forward with an offer for his Act III chain to buy out Presidio Theaters. The managment of Presidio’s parent, not wanting to sell (people in Austin spend more per capita on movies than anyplace in the country – at least they did in the 80’s-90’s), nevertheless felt that to turn down such an offer would spell doom for any future financial needs. Unfortuantely for movie-goers in Austin, Act III was not as financially stable as Presidio, and the chain was sold to Regal.
The Southpark 3 had a very short life, opening in 1983 and closing in 1988.