Quote:
Originally Posted by NortheastWind
Those market forces also included the old and tired theatres that closed. People like modern! A new modern theatre with stadium seating could be successful.
However, I believe a modern theatre is needed in the core first, before the east end is considered, especially with all the condo development occurring.
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Can you think of an example of a mid-sized Canadian city with a big modern cinema in its core? I can’t think of one I have seen or visited, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. I don’t think there’s a good chance of it, though. I think the only way a cinema can survive in a downtown nowadays is by cultivating an old-timey atmosphere, and offering films that the bigger suburban theatres don’t. Waterloo and now Kitchener both have cinemas like this, which also offer more mainstream fare in addition to the arthouse-type films. London has a single-screen theatre (the Hyland) which has been operating near their downtown for a few years, I believe successfully. London, too, has a “budget” type of cinema in its downtown mall (part of the Rainbow chain) which seems to have a similar model as Jackson. I can’t think of too many smaller Canadian cities who even still have this, though. We’re fairly lucky to have any cinema downtown at all.
Hopefully the Jackson Square cinema can hold on. I think the best and most realistic development in terms of cinemas in the core would be something with a model similar to that of the Westdale cinema trying to make a go of it somewhere near James North or King West. Avon Theatre on Ottawa would have been great, especially if there really is a demand in the east end for cinema, but I guess that won’t be happening. There was a cinema on Locke Street (the Regent), which is retail now, and I would love to see it turn back into a movie house. But it’s so tiny and that that probably isn’t realistic. Depending on how much the building could be had for, I wonder sometimes, though…
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