MOVIE THEATER DOWNTOWN JAX!?!?!

[thelakelander]

As someone stated earlier, a six movie theatre would do fine. Springfield, San Marco, avondale and Riverside  residents would thoroughly enjoy. There is not a movie theatre anywhere near by. Geez we want so much for our DT but shot down everything thats proposed.

My point is, if there were a market for a six screen movie theater in DT, the private sector would have already proposed and developed one.  My other point is that if we focus on the resolving the government controlled problems that plague downtown, you put the area in position to where private sector financed projects, such as movie theaters, would have a chance at being more viable.  My last point, is that we've gone down this road before (cherry picking "sexy" projects, with no realization of how those industries work or idea of fixing downtown's real problems first) and the results have been devastating.  At some point, we should try and address the real issues holding back downtown.  That method works, is signficantly cheaper on the taxpayer and will lay down the foundation for market rate "sexy" projects to come along without being tube fed public subsidies to keep them afloat.

The movie business is very tough for a single screen theatre! 

I am told that the Florida Theatre is very expensive to run, and needs a lot of staff.  That said, if you fill it up for one show a week (with 1,500 seats), you'd make more than many suburban screens do all week.  The Tampa Theatre works like that.

Overall the movie business is scared right now...  Ever-improving home theater systems and widespread video piracy make theater chains worried that no one will actually go out to the movies anymore.  The new theater up by the airport has seriously under-performed (because the house that were planned nearby haven't been built yet).

^Btw, this is a quote from the one guy in the local movie business here worth repeating.

[cline]

Springfield, San Marco, avondale and Riverside  residents would thoroughly enjoy. There is not a movie theatre anywhere near by.

I live in Avondale and regularly go to the Five Points Theater and San Marco Theater.  To say there is not a theater anywhere nearby is incorrect.

P.S THE NEAREST IMAX IS 50-60 MILES AWAY. NO CANIBALS HERE.

There's a 3D IMAX at Regency 24 which is about 6 miles from downtown.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

All of you are still thinking inside the box - literally 

I say there needs to be an open-air, drive in theater on top of one of the several parking garages downtown.  All you have to provide is a retractable screen, some concessions and a projector.  Easy.  No remodeling, no new building.  And something both nostaglic yet innovative for the city.

[wsansewjs]

There's a 3D IMAX at Regency 24 which is about 6 miles from downtown.

That's not the REAL IMAX. It is an intimidation version of IMAX. They just slap the brand name to the theater and increased the ticket prices because it is just IMAX.

Quite shocker.... not. If you want to visit the true pure IMAX, go to Fort Lauderdale for it. They have a domed-screen with the speakers blowing in your face, your ears, your belly, your butt, your crotch, and even your feet.

- Josh

[cline]

The city already does an open-air theater.  It's in treaty park and is very cool.  Much nicer than being on top of a parking garage (and more nostalgic IMO ).  No remodeling, no new bulding...easy.

[cline]

That's not the REAL IMAX. It is an intimidation version of IMAX.

Do the real IMAXs know they are being "intimidated" by the fake IMAXs?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I'm aware of the movies at treaty park.  I'm also aware of movies in the park at jax beach.

They're both family oriented, which is fine, but think back to your days at the drive-in.....

Not exactly for the kids, and therefore you would be able to show movies rated above pg-13.

[thelakelander]

If there's money to be made, the private sector will figure it out and cash in on it.  Publicly, COJ already has it hands full with an out of control budget, policies and regulations that hamper business growth while encouraging uneconomically viable sprawl. 

The city should not be in the business of ultimately deciding what the private sector should invest in and selecting specific locations for specific business uses.  That's not how you revitalize a downtown or any other neighborhood.  However, it is a great way to burn public money and slow creative and innovative market rate growth.  Cities are organic in nature.  We ought to let Jacksonville evolve on its own.

[cline]

If there's money to be made, the private sector will figure it out and cash in on it.  Publicly, COJ already has it hands full with an out of control budget, policies and regulations that hamper business growth while encouraging uneconomically viable sprawl. 

The city should not be in the business of ultimately deciding what the private sector should invest in and selecting specific locations for specific business uses.  That's not how you revitalize a downtown or any other neighborhood.  However, it is a great way to burn public money and slow creative and innovative market rate growth.  Cities are organic in nature.  We ought to let Jacksonville evolve on its own.

^+100

But hey, maybe we could score some 70s and 80s reel to reels from the old Playtime Drive-in (Blanding).  Those would probably go over well being shown on the top of a parking garage.  Probably need to make sure it isn't anywhere near a FBC building though

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I was actually thinking along the lines of 'The Devils Rejects' being played on top of one of the FBC garages.   

[fsujax]

good grief! this is really going to make you FBC haters mad. There are already two large movie size screens inside the main sanctaury of the Church. Every Sunday is like movie time for me Downtown! :-)

[ChriswUfGator]

There's a 3D IMAX at Regency 24 which is about 6 miles from downtown.

That's not the REAL IMAX. It is an intimidation version of IMAX. They just slap the brand name to the theater and increased the ticket prices because it is just IMAX.

Quite shocker.... not. If you want to visit the true pure IMAX, go to Fort Lauderdale for it. They have a domed-screen with the speakers blowing in your face, your ears, your belly, your butt, your crotch, and even your feet.

- Josh

There are several real IMAX theatres closer, one in World Golf Village, another in Cape Canaveral. And I can't imagine Orlando doesn't have one.

[John P]

http://www.floridatheatre.com/SpecialEvents/SummerMovieClassics.aspx
Movie theater in downtown.

[Tacachale]

^Again, the Florida Theatre isn't a full time movie theatre.

I don't think anybody's suggesting the city actually build or subsidize a movie theater. The argument is that one could work; clearly it would be a private enterprise (though possibly with planning and incentives from the city).

The problem, I believe, isn't that there's no market for a downtown theater, it's that there's no market for the 18+ screen megaplexes that local developers have grown accustomed to building for the last 15 years or so, and they aren't in the mood to adapt. As I said before I think there are easily enough people in the core and surrounding neighborhoods for a mid-sized theater to work somewhere in the vicinity; downtown would be preferable.

[fsujax]

Tallahassee has a real IMAX downtown at Kleman Plaza.