Councillors keep pushing to save cinema
City invested in building, wants to see return on taxpayer contributions
City councillors have once again urged the owner of the World Exchange Plaza to make every effort to preserve its popular movie theatre space that is slated to shut down by year’s end.
The politicians at Tuesday’s finance committee reiterated their support for the cinema at the same time recognizing the owner has no obligation to retain the theatre space.
Representatives for World Exchange say they would like to find an operator to keep the theatre running, but given the lack of interest, they might have to consider other options. And they certainly can, now that city staff clarified that the development agreement for the downtown centre does not restrict the space to being used as a theatre or any other entertainment use.
“We just wanted to confirm the conditions of the development agreement that the third floor was not restricted to a theatre use only,” said Nancy Meloshe, a planning consultant working with World Exchange’s management group Bentall Kennedy.
There was public backlash when the owner asked the city for clarification that it could use the space on the third-floor for offices. The inquiry was made because Empire Theatres made known its intentions to abandon the big screen when its lease expires on Dec. 31.
Calgary-based cinema chain Landmark Theatres has since taken over the lease, but there is no guarantee that company, or any other, will continue to show movies in 2014.
Coun. Bob Monette suggests World Exchange reach out to smaller theatre companies to see whether they are interested in operating a cinema.
“I’m hoping that (city) staff, before agreeing to any changes, explore all options available for a theatre,” he said.
Even without the obligation to keep a cinema, Coun. Diane Holmes reminded the owner’s representatives of the public’s investment in the downtown building, including the dedication of street lanes still used for vehicles entering and exiting the building.
“We are looking to World Exchange Plaza to maintain this theatre space as a return on the major investment the city has made,” Holmes said.
Landmark’s chief operating officer Neil Campbell has already stated publicly that the company would like to operate a theatre at the World Exchange and those conversations are ongoing, according to representatives from Bentall Kennedy.