Studio Movie Grill has opened the I-20 and Matlock property giving Movie Tavern a run for the customers in a nicer setting. Suspect if what Arron says is true NOBODY will rehab the Lowes 287/20/Little Property and it will come down (or be rennovated for something else). The Graham Brothers out of Odessa ought to take a look at it. They run Multi-Club concepts and since this has been gutted it would serve them better. At least it won’t wind up like the UA Bowen 8 as a storage unit…though that area is redevloped and quite nicely. With few exceptions (studio movie grill & Landmark) the exhibit industry sure has gone down hill with the cookie cutter AMCs, Movie Taverns and even Cinemark’s as main stream fare. I don’t patronize them – now even more since Arron’s post on MT.
Sure wish someone in DFW would pick up this gem – maybe Landmark as an art house for the mid cities. High volume traffic of I-20 and 287 as it splits in a “V” just behind the center. Strippling Cox just went out of there as its being remodled into something else (probably more strip center smaller storefronts). A Cheddars in the parking lot, a No Frills Grill nearby, a gourmet pizza place, health food store, and several other restaurants near by.
Movie Tavern has an 8 screen on the other side of 20 and Studio Movie Grill is building 5 miles to the east at Matlock and 20 with a 10 plex. The Bowen 8 at Bowen and 20 is gone – turnend into a storage unit (sad). The GCC on Arbrook is owned by the AISD as a multi-purpose center and the mega monster AMC 18 is on the 2nd and 3rd stories of the Parks Mall – a very hard theater to reach and nightmarish parking in the fall – well most of the time with that busy mall.
The area is upscale and educated in SW to S Arlington – and Mansfield along 287. A huge Super Wal Mart is slated for Little Road and 287 just at the 20 split and the traffic alone would be a boom for an art house chain. Would take little to rehab it – with the extensive wide front lobby, huge glass windows looking in, would make a great restaurant/bar area (where the concessions used to be located). I believe it was a 6 screen-plex and could be rennovated into tavern style as a bistro, bar, coffee house, (all the above) with ample parking front and back. Even a traffic light at the sw entrance. Some kind of neon marquee and/or spotlights (on top of the building) would draw attention from both I-20, Hwy 287 and Little Road. Upscale homes in Kennedale (200k to 500k) and in Mansfield (240k – 1 million or more) as a bedroom community.
The Inwood, Angelika, and Magnolia are great but like 50 miles away – and hard to enjoy once there knowing there’s a 50 minute to 1.5 hour commute back through several cities and police departments. Can’t think of another art type house upscale around. And digital projection and/or video on the screens as an upscale venue would draw business meetings. There really are no south Arlington, East Fort Worth, Mansfield, or Kennedale meeting facilities.
I wonder if Landmark would take a look at it and consider granting us educated mid cities folks a quality film house for quality and indy film? Sure would be a perfect place for it.
I’ve had a love for old theaters since my childhood in the 1960s. As a fairly new resident of DFW it was heartbreaking to watch the live WFAA ABC 8 and KDFW FOX 4 helicopter shots of the building on fire this afternoon and evening. About 6 the roof burst open with flames as well as the screen/staging area. The video of the Arcadia sign on top of the 4 story structure surrounded by flames was almost cinematic as featured in so many great films. I’ve seen many turned into nightclubs or other venues but always am saddened someone doesn’t save more of them in preservation efforts. Its true most’s land or area value exceeds its restoration potential – but the real death nail seems to be its adjoining tennents with restaurants and kitchen fires taking the final toll. That seems to be the case this afternoon.
I’ve been a part of saving several theaters in my time, the Plaza in El Paso, the Yucca in Midland, and a friend once owning the Ritz in Big Spring Texas. There are still gems all over the metroplex worth saving as well as Texas. Some operate as performing arts centers. If I just had the budget as a television producer (struggling businessman) I’d mutli-purpose one here in the mid cities or outlying bedroom communities (towns) as a multi-camera studio and arts and/or classic film house, community theater, melodrama theater or again multipurpose with the ability to maintain/restore them to former glory. Sadly, by the time they’ve had one, two or three nightclubs they are pretty well on the way towards a careless demise. RIP Arcadia –
Studio Movie Grill has opened the I-20 and Matlock property giving Movie Tavern a run for the customers in a nicer setting. Suspect if what Arron says is true NOBODY will rehab the Lowes 287/20/Little Property and it will come down (or be rennovated for something else). The Graham Brothers out of Odessa ought to take a look at it. They run Multi-Club concepts and since this has been gutted it would serve them better. At least it won’t wind up like the UA Bowen 8 as a storage unit…though that area is redevloped and quite nicely. With few exceptions (studio movie grill & Landmark) the exhibit industry sure has gone down hill with the cookie cutter AMCs, Movie Taverns and even Cinemark’s as main stream fare. I don’t patronize them – now even more since Arron’s post on MT.
Sure wish someone in DFW would pick up this gem – maybe Landmark as an art house for the mid cities. High volume traffic of I-20 and 287 as it splits in a “V” just behind the center. Strippling Cox just went out of there as its being remodled into something else (probably more strip center smaller storefronts). A Cheddars in the parking lot, a No Frills Grill nearby, a gourmet pizza place, health food store, and several other restaurants near by.
Movie Tavern has an 8 screen on the other side of 20 and Studio Movie Grill is building 5 miles to the east at Matlock and 20 with a 10 plex. The Bowen 8 at Bowen and 20 is gone – turnend into a storage unit (sad). The GCC on Arbrook is owned by the AISD as a multi-purpose center and the mega monster AMC 18 is on the 2nd and 3rd stories of the Parks Mall – a very hard theater to reach and nightmarish parking in the fall – well most of the time with that busy mall.
The area is upscale and educated in SW to S Arlington – and Mansfield along 287. A huge Super Wal Mart is slated for Little Road and 287 just at the 20 split and the traffic alone would be a boom for an art house chain. Would take little to rehab it – with the extensive wide front lobby, huge glass windows looking in, would make a great restaurant/bar area (where the concessions used to be located). I believe it was a 6 screen-plex and could be rennovated into tavern style as a bistro, bar, coffee house, (all the above) with ample parking front and back. Even a traffic light at the sw entrance. Some kind of neon marquee and/or spotlights (on top of the building) would draw attention from both I-20, Hwy 287 and Little Road. Upscale homes in Kennedale (200k to 500k) and in Mansfield (240k – 1 million or more) as a bedroom community.
The Inwood, Angelika, and Magnolia are great but like 50 miles away – and hard to enjoy once there knowing there’s a 50 minute to 1.5 hour commute back through several cities and police departments. Can’t think of another art type house upscale around. And digital projection and/or video on the screens as an upscale venue would draw business meetings. There really are no south Arlington, East Fort Worth, Mansfield, or Kennedale meeting facilities.
I wonder if Landmark would take a look at it and consider granting us educated mid cities folks a quality film house for quality and indy film? Sure would be a perfect place for it.
I’ve had a love for old theaters since my childhood in the 1960s. As a fairly new resident of DFW it was heartbreaking to watch the live WFAA ABC 8 and KDFW FOX 4 helicopter shots of the building on fire this afternoon and evening. About 6 the roof burst open with flames as well as the screen/staging area. The video of the Arcadia sign on top of the 4 story structure surrounded by flames was almost cinematic as featured in so many great films. I’ve seen many turned into nightclubs or other venues but always am saddened someone doesn’t save more of them in preservation efforts. Its true most’s land or area value exceeds its restoration potential – but the real death nail seems to be its adjoining tennents with restaurants and kitchen fires taking the final toll. That seems to be the case this afternoon.
I’ve been a part of saving several theaters in my time, the Plaza in El Paso, the Yucca in Midland, and a friend once owning the Ritz in Big Spring Texas. There are still gems all over the metroplex worth saving as well as Texas. Some operate as performing arts centers. If I just had the budget as a television producer (struggling businessman) I’d mutli-purpose one here in the mid cities or outlying bedroom communities (towns) as a multi-camera studio and arts and/or classic film house, community theater, melodrama theater or again multipurpose with the ability to maintain/restore them to former glory. Sadly, by the time they’ve had one, two or three nightclubs they are pretty well on the way towards a careless demise. RIP Arcadia –