Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
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KansasCityCraka
- Oak Tower
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Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
On the opposite side of the P&L District (the ugly looking side of the Empire) there is a pretty big space for development. What is going to go in there? Since AMC Theaters own the Empire now, do you think they will do anything with that site?
Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
The master plan (which may not still be currrent) shows a jazz club and a surface lot labeled as "future development". (One of thee futuren residential towers I think?)
Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
What will they do with the Empire Theater? I hope they make it a music/events venue, and not some multi-screen crap movie theater.
Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
It is going to be a movie theater. Our word from AMC is that it has to be "perfect, the best theater in their entire chain". Do that and keeping it's historic look will be quite a challenge.
Downtown needs a movie theater. This is a great location for one. There are tons of live music venues DT already.
Downtown needs a movie theater. This is a great location for one. There are tons of live music venues DT already.
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LenexatoKCMO
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Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
Are they going to knock out the back western wall and expand the theater or are they going to develop something else there? I think that is what the poster was getting at. I noticed when I went out for a walk yesterday that they had recently paved over the western side of the block, so I can't imagine they are going to be doing anything real soon.
Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
The latest seems to be that it will be AMC's premier urban venue, showing primarily independent art and foreign flicks. I believe there will be another, multiscreen first-run big-budget Hollywood nonsense theatre in P&L as well. If I recall, it is right near the HRB HQ.bahua wrote: What will they do with the Empire Theater? I hope they make it a music/events venue, and not some multi-screen crap movie theater.
"It is not to my good friend's heresy that I impute his honesty. On the contrary, 'tis his honesty that has brought upon him the character of heretic." -- Ben Franklin
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KCDowntown
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Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
Walked by today and the area behind the Empire was paved over.
KCDowntown
KCDowntown
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KansasCityCraka
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Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
I noticed they paved the empty space over about a week ago. The only thing that is suppose to go there is a Jazz Club. And a parking lot behind it.KCDowntown wrote: Walked by today and the area behind the Empire was paved over.
KCDowntown
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LenexatoKCMO
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Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
Yeah but that rendering is from long before they signed AMC on to the development and announced the plans for the Empire to become a flagship theater. It was still labeled as a "live music venue" back then. From what was described when they made the AMC announcement, I would have thought they would be looking at a bigger footprint than just the existing Empire - especially with that featureless brick wall on the west side that could so easily be opened up for expansion. I just wondered if anybody knew anything for sure.KansasCityCraka wrote: The only thing that is suppose to go there is a Jazz Club. And a parking lot behind it.
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FangKC
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Re: Is there something planned to go in by the Empire?
The Empire Theater was bought the city, and will be turned over to AMC Theaters and the Cordish Co., who are joint partners in Midland-Empire Partners LLC, for redevelopment.
I believe the paved surface lot is temporary, so that there is parking for the Hilton President Hotel. Once the parking garage to the north of the President is open, then that parcel next to the Empire will be available for development.
There really hasn't been any definitive word on how the multiplex will be configured in the Empire Theater. It was reported in the KC Star that AMC plans a state-of-the-art movie theater with six digital projection screens, sky boxes and seating for 1,100 people as well as a concession stand, bar and restaurant in the building. The Empire will become the first all-digital movie theater in Kansas City, and one of the few in the nation. In addition, customers will be allowed to carry alcoholic beverages purchased at the restaurant into the theaters.
The drawing of the inside that AMC released, when the project was announced, gives me the impression that the old theater space on the ground floor will become the new lobby. This is what AMC did with the old Empire (aka Eltinge 42nd Street) Theater on 42nd St. in NYC. The old theater space became a huge new lobby, and new space was constructed around the old building for the screening rooms. Escalators were placed in the new lobby that ascend to the new screening rooms surrounding the old building. More information on the AMC Empire 25 in NYC can be found here:
http://cinematreasures.com/theater/255/
From what I've read, the Empire here in KC had four screening rooms when it was last open. There was one big theater in the old first-floor space, two on the balcony level, and another smaller space, that used to be a playroom for children, on the upstairs level.
If the old theater space on the first floor becomes the new lobby, then it appears that there are a couple of different options for where the screening rooms would be. This is a large theater. It used to seat up to 3,000 people. Of course, screening rooms are much, much smaller today than in earlier times.
1. One could reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony; the other space on the second floor that used to be a playroom for children; and add new screening rooms in other parts of the existing building. Since the stage area is 2-3 stories tall, one or two screening rooms could probably be constructed there on the first floor behind where the movie screen was placed. One or two more screening rooms could be placed on top of those, and accessed from the second floor, for a total of four screening spaces in the stage area. Additional screening rooms could be constructed in the basement levels. According to Mary Bagley's book, The Front Row: Missouri's Grand Theatres, the Empire has two basement levels. There is also probably more space under the stage as well. The theater originally opened as a live vaudeville performance theater, and later used for stage shows. There is a lot of space in the two basement levels that was devoted to dressing rooms, staging areas, animal pens, corridors, and storage. The theater originally had an elephant cage, a pool for seals, and an elevator large enough to haul elephants to the stage. It is likely that AMC could construct six or seven screening rooms within the original building without having to build on, and still use the original theater space as a big lobby.
2. The second option would be to subdivide the original theater space on the first floor and use the three-story open portion of it as a new lobby, and place two more screening rooms under the balcony portion; reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony; the other space on the second floor that used to be a playroom for children. Another screening room could be placed in the basement. This would create 6 screening rooms without having to add on to the original building.
3. The third option would be to subdivide the original theater space on the first floor and use the three-story open portion of it as a new lobby, and place two more screening rooms under the balcony portion; reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony; the other space on the second floor that used to be a playroom for children. Another screening room, and the restaurant, could be added on to the original building in an annex on the south side on that vacant parcel next to Truman Road. This would create six screening rooms.
4. Another option would be to subdivide the original theater space on the first floor and use the three-story open portion of it as a new lobby, and place two more screening rooms under the balcony portion; reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony. This would create four screening rooms in the old theater building. A new multi-use tower on the vacant lot on the west side of the theater could be constructed. In this option, two additional screening rooms, and the restaurant, could be placed in the new tower on the first and second floor, and the upper floors could be office space, and residential units. This could create up to six screening rooms -- four in the old theater, and two more with a restaurant, in the new building.
I would guess that a variation of options 1 or 2 would be most likely.
Photos of the interior of the original Empire "Mainstreet" Theater can be found at:
http://cinerama.topcities.com/mainstreet.htm
More on the Empire Theater at:
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/4866/
If I were running AMC, I would build a new multi-use commerical/residential tower on the west side of the theater and move the headquarters operations there. I would place a big AMC sign on top of the building that could be seen for miles. Somewhere on top of the old theater building I would place (a) big LED screen(s) that would show film trailers advertising current movies being exhibited in the Empire. This new tower would have several stories of parking (under and above ground levels); several stories for AMC operations; and the remainder for residential condos. All six screening spaces would be placed in the old theater building.
I believe the paved surface lot is temporary, so that there is parking for the Hilton President Hotel. Once the parking garage to the north of the President is open, then that parcel next to the Empire will be available for development.
There really hasn't been any definitive word on how the multiplex will be configured in the Empire Theater. It was reported in the KC Star that AMC plans a state-of-the-art movie theater with six digital projection screens, sky boxes and seating for 1,100 people as well as a concession stand, bar and restaurant in the building. The Empire will become the first all-digital movie theater in Kansas City, and one of the few in the nation. In addition, customers will be allowed to carry alcoholic beverages purchased at the restaurant into the theaters.
The drawing of the inside that AMC released, when the project was announced, gives me the impression that the old theater space on the ground floor will become the new lobby. This is what AMC did with the old Empire (aka Eltinge 42nd Street) Theater on 42nd St. in NYC. The old theater space became a huge new lobby, and new space was constructed around the old building for the screening rooms. Escalators were placed in the new lobby that ascend to the new screening rooms surrounding the old building. More information on the AMC Empire 25 in NYC can be found here:
http://cinematreasures.com/theater/255/
From what I've read, the Empire here in KC had four screening rooms when it was last open. There was one big theater in the old first-floor space, two on the balcony level, and another smaller space, that used to be a playroom for children, on the upstairs level.
If the old theater space on the first floor becomes the new lobby, then it appears that there are a couple of different options for where the screening rooms would be. This is a large theater. It used to seat up to 3,000 people. Of course, screening rooms are much, much smaller today than in earlier times.
1. One could reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony; the other space on the second floor that used to be a playroom for children; and add new screening rooms in other parts of the existing building. Since the stage area is 2-3 stories tall, one or two screening rooms could probably be constructed there on the first floor behind where the movie screen was placed. One or two more screening rooms could be placed on top of those, and accessed from the second floor, for a total of four screening spaces in the stage area. Additional screening rooms could be constructed in the basement levels. According to Mary Bagley's book, The Front Row: Missouri's Grand Theatres, the Empire has two basement levels. There is also probably more space under the stage as well. The theater originally opened as a live vaudeville performance theater, and later used for stage shows. There is a lot of space in the two basement levels that was devoted to dressing rooms, staging areas, animal pens, corridors, and storage. The theater originally had an elephant cage, a pool for seals, and an elevator large enough to haul elephants to the stage. It is likely that AMC could construct six or seven screening rooms within the original building without having to build on, and still use the original theater space as a big lobby.
2. The second option would be to subdivide the original theater space on the first floor and use the three-story open portion of it as a new lobby, and place two more screening rooms under the balcony portion; reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony; the other space on the second floor that used to be a playroom for children. Another screening room could be placed in the basement. This would create 6 screening rooms without having to add on to the original building.
3. The third option would be to subdivide the original theater space on the first floor and use the three-story open portion of it as a new lobby, and place two more screening rooms under the balcony portion; reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony; the other space on the second floor that used to be a playroom for children. Another screening room, and the restaurant, could be added on to the original building in an annex on the south side on that vacant parcel next to Truman Road. This would create six screening rooms.
4. Another option would be to subdivide the original theater space on the first floor and use the three-story open portion of it as a new lobby, and place two more screening rooms under the balcony portion; reuse the two screening rooms on the balcony. This would create four screening rooms in the old theater building. A new multi-use tower on the vacant lot on the west side of the theater could be constructed. In this option, two additional screening rooms, and the restaurant, could be placed in the new tower on the first and second floor, and the upper floors could be office space, and residential units. This could create up to six screening rooms -- four in the old theater, and two more with a restaurant, in the new building.
I would guess that a variation of options 1 or 2 would be most likely.
Photos of the interior of the original Empire "Mainstreet" Theater can be found at:
http://cinerama.topcities.com/mainstreet.htm
More on the Empire Theater at:
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/4866/
If I were running AMC, I would build a new multi-use commerical/residential tower on the west side of the theater and move the headquarters operations there. I would place a big AMC sign on top of the building that could be seen for miles. Somewhere on top of the old theater building I would place (a) big LED screen(s) that would show film trailers advertising current movies being exhibited in the Empire. This new tower would have several stories of parking (under and above ground levels); several stories for AMC operations; and the remainder for residential condos. All six screening spaces would be placed in the old theater building.
Last edited by FangKC on Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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