Report: Downer Theatre first to reopen in city
The president of Landmark Theatres said eight of the chain's theaters, including the Downer in Milwaukee, will reopen Friday, according to trade industry reports.
It would be the first movie theater to reopen in the city of Milwaukee since everything shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic in March.
Attempts to reach Landmark Theatres and the Downer were unsuccessful. On Tuesday, a check of the theater, 2589 N. Downer Ave., revealed few signs of its reopening; the marquee still reads “Temporarily closed due to corona — stay safe!”
Variety and Screen Daily reported late Monday that Landmark, which was acquired by Cohen Media Group in 2018, plans to open theaters in eight cities this Friday, including Milwaukee. A second wave of reopenings is expected in midSeptember.
Landmark said it plans to follow guidelines set down by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, including social distancing, mandatory masks for staff and patrons, increased cleaning protocols and reduced capacity.
According to the city of Milwaukee’s reopening guidelines, movie theaters can reopen at 50% capacity.
Like the rest of the theaters in the Milwaukee area, the Downer shut down in mid-March as part of the effort to rein in the spread of the coronavirus by prohibiting large gatherings. A handful of suburban theaters reopened in May and June; Marcus Theatres, the area’s largest movie chain, is reopening most of its theaters this month.
Reopened theaters have set up their own safety protocols, from limiting seating and more aggressive cleaning regimens to making mask-wearing mandatory and offering contact-free ticketing. (On Tuesday, a ticket kiosk could be seen in the entryway of the Downer.)
The Downer would be the first theater to reopen in the city of Milwaukee since the pandemic began. Of the four other commercial theaters operating in the city limits:
The Oriental Theatre, now operated by Milwaukee Film, is undergoing renovations and could open this fall. This month, the nonprofit announced that the 2020 Milwaukee Film Festival, scheduled for Oct. 15-29, would be all-online.
The Avalon Theater and Times Cinema, owned by Neighborhood Theatre Group, have no target return date, although the Avalon said on social media this week that it will reopen “soon.”
And Marcus’ Southgate Cinema is one of a handful of the company’s Wisconsin locations that does not have a reopening date yet.