Vancouver’s Park Theatre on Cambie to close at the end of this week (Oct 26th)

[Glow Fun City]

Very sad news! Hopefully VIFF or the Rio could take it over?


https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article...cambie-to-close-at-the-end-of-this-week/


UPDATE:


Park Theatre taken over by team behind Vancouver's Rio Theatre and others


https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local...-stranger-things-anora-director-11403280

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Glow Fun City

Very sad news! Hopefully VIFF or the Rio could take it over?


https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article...cambie-to-close-at-the-end-of-this-week/

Cineplex programmed that theatre so badly, I'm sure they wanted it to fail.

[djh]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Cineplex programmed that theatre so badly, I'm sure they wanted it to fail.

The best way to save this would be to redevelop the site into a small multiplex, in the vein of Fifth Avenue. Condos, shops, cinemas.

It's so hard for a single screen to be profitable, especially if they're not showing mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. Showing anything "interesting" (like "One Battle After Another", which I saw at The Park last week and the cinema was only 1/4 full) means they barely break-even, and then it's just a race to find the next interesting film to replace it before it becomes weeks of no sales.

That whole block could do with redevelopment. I hope whoever has the vision and pockets to buy-out all the individual landowners and make something substantial, also has a vision to keep that block a central entertainment district for the street. Every major N-S street needs something that's not just shopping. Granville has the Stanley Theatre, Burrard has Fifth Avenue, Main has Heritage Hall, Commercial has The York Theatre and used to have a cinema at 7th (but has the Rio near Broadway). Cambie needs something to keep people culturally entertained.

[whatnext]

Yeah, I imagine it is pretty hard to keep a single screen theatre going. I wonder how Rio and Dunbar do it. I'm surprised it was even a quarter full when you went. The last thing I saw there was the last Wes Anderson movie shortly after it opened and it was nowhere near that busy.

Done right the whole neighbourhood benefits if people come to the area and do something before/after a movie.

[svlt]

Lasted way longer than it had business doing being there showing a single movie. That stretch of cambie is always getting upended with closures and changes of stores. It'll be missed but I hope something interesting in the arts and culture space replaces it and not another store or restaurant.

[Glow Fun City]

Rather than another multiplex (which isn't really needed), I'd like to see something more like the Rio or the Hollywood: a multi-purpose venue that can host films or live events along with a bar. This city needs music venues in that size range for sure…

[RedArbutus]

Everyone talks about the Rio (polarizing reactions for sure), but honestly I've been really impressed with what the Hollywood has done. That's a great asset to Kits.

[Glow Fun City]

Originally Posted by RedArbutus

Everyone talks about the Rio (polarizing reactions for sure), but honestly I've been really impressed with what the Hollywood has done. That's a great asset to Kits.

The Hollywood is really the nicest music venue smaller than the Commodore right now… fills the void left by the Imperial (and Richards on Richards before that) with better sound/lights and much more pleasant surroundings.


But the lovely bars in the main room also make it much worse for film screenings with all that ambient light…

[csbvan]

If they move the 70mm projector to the 5th Ave, and curate the 5th Ave more independent (it already does quite a bit of indy cinema), this may make sense.

I would love to see a Hollywood-style redo of the Park. It should remain a theatre (live or otherwise). We can't afford to lose anymore.

[RedArbutus]

God I miss the Imperial.

100% agreed on the Park needing to transition to an event space. I'm nowhere near Cambie (last movie I saw there was Poor Things, and before that....probably 15-20 years ago?) and it's still unquestionably a part of the Village that needs to be preserved.

[GenWhy?]

it does fall within the mixed-use 8-storey TOD area with Cambie Plan, but also has a degree of cultural space protection under a rezoning... but, as we saw with the Imperial Theatre, that doesn't mean much.

[officedweller]

I haven't been to the Park in forever, but I seem to recall that it's a long theatre with a shallow slope, no balcony and not much circulation space?
A renovation could shorten the theatre and add circulation, lobby bar, etc. near the entrance.

[Glow Fun City]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I haven't been to the Park in forever, but I seem to recall that it's a long theatre with a shallow slope, no balcony and not much circulation space?
A renovation could shorten the theatre and add circulation, lobby bar, etc. near the entrance.

Yes it's quite a long room, so a larger lobby with a bar in the back would be perfect. You could add a small balcony in and not lose any overall capacity too.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

it does fall within the mixed-use 8-storey TOD area with Cambie Plan, but also has a degree of cultural space protection under a rezoning... but, as we saw with the Imperial Theatre, that doesn't mean much.

It just seems like a meh site to redevelop on the Broadway Corridor. Narrow, expensive to consolidate those retail units, and only 8 storeys.

The Broadway Corridor is so full of better development opportunities, why would anyone go out of their way for this site? Especially in this market.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by csbvan

It just seems like a meh site to redevelop on the Broadway Corridor. Narrow, expensive to consolidate those retail units, and only 8 storeys.

The Broadway Corridor is so full of better development opportunities, why would anyone go out of their way for this site? Especially in this market.

Oh I was under the impression the retail units / builds to the north are a part of the building (as thi sis similar to other ones I've seen here and in other cities). If that's not the case then ya it's a sitting duck of nothing

EDIT: I should have just done this right away - it's all one lot: 3404 Cambie. And you would unfortunately likely tear every building down and then be obliged by the City to provide a very small "venue" or community space, like the Imperial site

[Glow Fun City]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Oh I was under the impression the retail units / builds to the north are a part of the building (as thi sis similar to other ones I've seen here and in other cities). If that's not the case then ya it's a sitting duck of nothing

EDIT: I should have just done this right away - it's all one lot: 3404 Cambie. And you would unfortunately likely tear every building down and then be obliged by the City to provide a very small "venue" or community space, like the Imperial site

I'd prefer a heritage preservation deal for the theatre in exchange for more density on the neighbouring site, like for the Hollywood and the Dunbar (though Dunbar will be restoring only the facade and building a new theatre behind).

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Glow Fun City

I'd prefer a heritage preservation deal for the theatre in exchange for more density on the neighbouring site, like for the Hollywood and the Dunbar (though Dunbar will be restoring only the facade and building a new theatre behind).

The condo and theatre development for the Hollywood was also one site, 1 development. The reason (this is going back a few years) that it looks the way it does is because the City made them design it that way to keep the theatre look separate. I think an earlier design had more homes on it.

I don't think the City really inks heritage density transfers much anymore or at all? I think the ones we hear about recently were older deals

[Glow Fun City]

Well there we go! Nice to see things happening quickly…

Park Theatre taken over by team behind Vancouver's Rio Theatre and others

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local...-stranger-things-anora-director-11403280

[csbvan]

Wow the names behind this venture I expect we will be getting a truly top tier rep theatre.

[Glow Fun City]

Originally Posted by csbvan

Wow the names behind this venture I expect we will be getting a truly top tier rep theatre.

Vancouver's been a major film production city for so long, so it's really nice to see some of those folks get involved on the exhibition side of things.