P&L District: 14th & Baltimore site proposal

[staubio]

What a wonderful day!  Jones store is underway, Empire is underway and I got an offer from H&R Block. 

[Big Red Storm]

What a wonderful day!  Jones store is underway, Empire is underway and I got an offer from H&R Block. 

Ohhh, nice to get a job offer.  So you gonna take it?  Would be awful cool to work in that new building, right in the heart of the P&L District.

[staubio]

Ohhh, nice to get a job offer.  So you gonna take it?  Would be awful cool to work in that new building, right in the heart of the P&L District.

Yup, I'm gonna take it, so if there are other Blockers on here, send a PM my way.

[Pork Chop]

AMC Entertainment is joining the Cordish Co. in a blockbuster plan to return movies to the Empire Theater and energize the Midland Theatre complex with live music and housing.

Brown said AMC wants to use digital projection equipment at the Empire, and primarily screen foreign and independent films there.

“It will be a boutique theater with elements of a lot of different things we want to test,â€

[ignatius]

^Another $60M invested downtown.  This momentum is just cool.  New downtown announcements every week it seems if not every few days.

Glad to see they'll screen indie films but corporate filmhouses screen only high profile pseudo indie films or those that have many copies available.  Would like to see another indie screen or two downtown that shows more obscure films.  Screenland in Xroads is one.  Another, perhaps in the Market, would be great.

[ignatius]

Plans call for the office building to be converted into 40 residential condominiums.

 

That's the office building above the Midland.

[scooterj]

Looks like we need to add the southern half of the 12th & Baltimore block to the project list.    I was hoping the Midland Building would go residential.  Glad to see it happening.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Glad to see they'll screen indie films but corporate filmhouses screen only high profile pseudo indie films or those that have many copies available.  Would like to see another indie screen or two downtown that shows more obscure films.  Screenland in Xroads is one.  Another, perhaps in the Market, would be great.

I think the article indicated that they were going to "test" movies there too. I would think that might mean we will see some less run of the mill stuff. 

[tat2kc]

They are going to test movies and technology there, which could be very cool.  Lets hope that the auditoriums won't be typical auditoriums. I'd love to see one of the auditoriums be a large, ornate, old style auditorium, kind of a special occasion, blockbuster movie space, on the scale of the old Glenwood. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

^brilliant! 

I am guessing that this project already misses most of the formula for a modern profit oriented theater - might as well go all the way.
I miss the Glenwood. 

[tat2kc]

Well, I'm pretty sure they aren't making money on the MIdland. Its an amazing place, but underused.  I'd be all for giving AMC some tax breaks to maintain both theaters, one as a live venue, and one as a demonstration type theater. They could add a lot to the area, and both buildings have great exteriors.  If nothing else give em tax breaks designed to maintain the exteriors of both places.

[cdschofield]

Brown said AMC wants to use digital projection equipment at the Empire, and primarily screen foreign and independent films there.

“It will be a boutique theater with elements of a lot of different things we want to test,” he said.

Besides the six screens and 1,100 seats, the Empire will include an 8,000-square-foot restaurant. It will be available to anyone, but its intent is to be part of the moviegoing experience, David Cordish said.

“It’s a terrific atmosphere that works,” he said. “You can dine in the restaurant and then bring your drink with you to the movie.”

Sounds like the description for an Angelika Film Center.

[shinatoo]

Ross Film Theater in Lincoln comes to mind. It's part of UNL.

[ComandanteCero]

hmm, sounds like it could be cool.  But i doubt the films will be all that independent or edgy (just reading the news today that AMC has chosen not to show the movie "The Aristocrats" because of foul language......)....

makes a nice picture though!

[Long]

Since this would be the only movie theater downtown, I doubt it will be 100% independent/obscure films. . .  I don't know, maybe there is that much demand for such a theater downtown, but I'm sure there is more money to be made showing Hollywood films.

[scooterj]

Since this would be the only movie theater downtown,...

You just made the Screenland Theater cry. 

[chrizow]

i doubt AMC would ever do this, but RagTag in Columbia occasionally shows classic films at the Missouri Theatre (akin to the Folly) and has some live music beforehand.  i've seen "Dr. Zhivago," "The Godfather," and "Rear Window."  sometimes they have film professors give short lectures about the film as well.  (www.ragtagfilm.com)

the classic film showings do well.  i bet there were at least 300-500 people at the "Rear Window" showing, at $7 a head, plus beer and other refreshments.  i think that sort of thing should be incorporated into the Empire.

[tat2kc]

Even if its mainstream movies, I doubt I'd go a lot. I usually hit the Plaza because of the age restrictions.  I blew my money a couple of times at Crown Center theaters, and won't ever go there again. 

[scooterj]

Even if its mainstream movies, I doubt I'd go a lot. I usually hit the Plaza because of the age restrictions.  I blew my money a couple of times at Crown Center theaters, and won't ever go there again. 

I'll go a lot for the convienience (the same reason I still hit up Crown Center from time to time) but the age restrictions at the Plaza rock.  Unless the new AMC does the same thing, which I seriously doubt, the Plaza will remain my favorite theater.

[trailerkid]

Time to set the record straight...

1. I believe this theatre will be a full-scale jab at the recent rise of indie and adult-only houses. AMC is not stupid. Indie houses are not really the cute little things they used to be... they're becoming major players. Just take a poll on this web site of what kind of venues the adults prefer. My guess is something like the Majestic rather than Barrywoods. Adults are fleeing the traditional AMC houses because of the atmosphere geared towards young people.

AMC probably identified downtown and the P+L District as a "grown-up" area that would be perfect for them to test this concept and try to regain some of the adults they've lost to Fine Arts, Tivoli, and soon the Majestic. I'd imagine that AMC could roll out an indie/adult-geared house nationwide.

It would be completely stupid for AMC to roll out a regular theater downtown like Crown Center at this point. Their megaplexes are built for suburban brats and wouldn't attract that element being in the center of the city. If they do the indie concept right and offer a little bit of a sophisticated urban venue...they will make tons of money.

3. AMC doesn't fail. Seriously...the name AMC pretty much only goes on theatres that succeed. They've shuttered outdated venues and had their problems with the once flagship Ward Parkway locale, but getting AMC as a theatre anchor is pretty much the name to get if you want a good tenant.

4. As news spreads of AMC joining the mix, Cordish and P+L have authentic cred for the development. Before, the P+L was just a plan with mystery tenants. When you hear AMC, you start to visualize what they'll bring to the table in terms of crowds and design.