B&B Mainstreet Theater

[Marreekarr]

The last movie that I saw at the Empire was 'Empire' Strikes Back.  No kidding.  There were lines several blocks long to see that flick.  Imagine Darth Vader looming in the center of the screen in that grand old movie palace.

I saw the Sixth Sense in an old movie palace here in LA.  Had to watch it with Spanish subtitles because most of their clientele spoke Spanish but it was still awesome to here Haley Joel Osment say: "I see dead people" and hear it echo off the walls in that giant theater.  Sadly, they don't show movies there anymore.  Tragedy.

[moderne]

There is no way those trees could be transplanted or saved.  Their root system has reached into joints between bricks, mortar and roof like the ruins of Angkor.  But they could take cuttings and sell or give away as memento's.

[Deleted User]

The tree discussion here is easily the most stupid words ever posted
on an Internet website. The Empire is being brought back to life after
3 decades and some of you people are infatuated with a tree.

[Tosspot]

The tree discussion here is easily the most stupid words ever posted
on an Internet website. The Empire is being brought back to life after
3 decades and some of you people are infatuated with a tree.

What would be really funny is if we were talking about grass growing on top of the Empire.

[kcmetro]

There's gonna be grass on some of the P&L buildings right? From the renderings it looked like that would be the case.

[FangKC]

Someone needs to take a chill pill.   :roll: The presence of the trees is an absurd symbol of the decay and neglect that occurred for decades.  Any fascination with them exists because they are sort of a fitting metaphor for the south loop; as well as what happened to many downtown districts in cities since the 1970s.

Yes, the big tree is still there.  I didn't notice the smaller one though.  I don't think anyone actually thinks the trees can or will be saved and transplanted.   However, it would be fitting if the trees could be placed elsewhere as a reminder of how bad things got. Future residents need to be aware that they cannot take their city for granted. Such a goofy tribute would serve as a sort of mockery of sorts.

Yes, several of the buildings are going to have greenery, and terraces, on the roof.  The roof of the grocery store would be a good place for tennis, racquetball, and basketball courts. I don't know if they plan that or not though.  I think it would also be cool if somewhere a public Olympic-sized swimming pool was part of the project. Is that going to be part of the health club on the old Jones Store block?  I hope so.

The big architectural mockups that have been placed on many of the street corners in the P&L District really illustrate better how things might look. One gets more of a sense of things.  It's also interesting for people working, living, and staying at hotels downtown because it gives them some sense of what will come of the present mess.

[Deleted User]

Someone needs to take a chill pill.  The presence of the trees is an absurd symbol of the decay and neglect that occurred for decades.  Any fascination with them exists because they are sort of a fitting metaphor for the south loop; as well as what happened to many downtown districts in cities since the 1970s.

Yes, the big tree is still there.  I didn't notice the smaller one though.  I don't think anyone actually thinks the trees can or will be saved and transplanted.  However, it would be fitting if the trees could be placed elsewhere as a reminder of how bad things got. Future residents need to be aware that they cannot take their city for granted. Such a goofy tribute would serve as a sort of mockery of sorts.

How many times does the tree and what might happen to it have to be discussed?
A chill pill won't help that everytime I read this thread people are talking about
a tree instead of the project itself.

The tree will go in the refuse dumpster and that will be the end of it.
No tree tribute is neccesary... if you want a tribute, erect statues of Berkeley,
Cleaver and every other KC Mayor with thier heads in the sand. They are the leadership
that allowed crime, trash, mismanagement of city resources, and had inept business skills
along with an inconcievable blindness to businesses leaving downtown over the last 4 decades.
That's a real reminder of how things got so bad and hopefully have a positive impact of future Mayors.

[FangKC]

All I'm sayin' is lighten up. 

[macnw]

You know, I think we could use some before and after pictures of the area, just to give people some reference. Thinking about it, maybe some old pictures of what KC was in its heyday and what KC might be in the future, if we can learn from our past mistakes. I think having some kind of area/signs or something that can id the area and its historical significance would be great. This should be the case for all of downtown, if not already. We have too much history to ignore. The buildings may be gone, but the history will remain if we help people remember.

[49r]

I think it'd be cool if they could somehow save the trees on top of the Empire.  Kind of as a reminder of how far we've come!

[kcdcchef]

I think it'd be cool if they could somehow save the trees on top of the Empire.  Kind of as a reminder of how far we've come!

i think i am the one who started the tree debate in this thread, however, i do think one of them should be saved, planted somewhere within the p&l, with a plaque and picture, to show the people of our city the results of neglect.

[beautyfromashes]

http://www.kcskyscrapers.com/newforum/h ... 542#p92542

You can't take credit for that one chef!

I think it's funny how you hated the idea back then and now you want to claim it.  Putz!

[kcdcchef]

http://www.kcskyscrapers.com/newforum/h ... 542#p92542

You can't take credit for that one chef!

here, in this thread, is where i said it. a month a go.

i honest to god hope they save that tree and plant it somewhere in the district with a plaque indicating where it came from.

not to mention, if your dumbass had any idea whatsoever how to read, you would have read the words IN THIS THREAD.

my god, you are so hopeless, BF.

http://www.kcskyscrapers.com/newforum/h ... 542#p92542


I think it's funny how you hated the idea back then and now you want to claim it.  Putz!

further, genius, if you read the comments, i was speaking about preserving the no parking writing on the walls. man, if you get any smarter................

[beautyfromashes]

You said it on July 19th, 2006.  My post was August 2005.  But, whatever, if it makes you feel better to recycle my idea from a year ago then I'll let you have it. 

[kcdcchef]

You said it on July 19th, 2006.  My post was August 2005.  But, whatever, if it makes you feel better to recycle my idea from a year ago then I'll let you have it. 

i said in this thread, IN THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!  LEARN TO READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i honest to god hope they save that tree and plant it somewhere in the district with a plaque indicating where it came from.

i think i am the one who started the tree debate in this thread,[/b] 

[kcmetro]

i think i am the one who started the tree debate in this thread, however, i do think one of them should be saved, planted somewhere within the p&l, with a plaque and picture, to show the people of our city the results of neglect.

I think that sounds like a good idea, just so we won't make the same mistake twice. It'll be a constant reminder to the citizens of KC of what can happen if we fail to preserve the part of town that really unites us all.

[DaveKCMO]

here's the rendering, for posterity:

[Sonfire]

The KC star video made it sound like there were just two large theatres... are they going to keep it that way, or divvy out the space between more theatres?

[FangKC]

Other than the architects, AMC, and Cordish, no one really knows yet the configuration of the new theater complex, or how the existing space within will be divided, since no blueprints have been made public. The descriptions of the layout of the renovated facility have been vague.

The theater was not built as a movie theater, but a live performance vaudeville house. When it was converted for films, one screen was constructed on the stage in the main auditorium. Later, the balcony was enclosed, divided, and two more screens added.

I recall reading somewhere that there was a fourth screening room added at some point. It could have been built in part of the lobby, or perhaps even in what was originally the children's nursery. Does anyone know for certain?

[kcdcchef]

Other than the architects, AMC, and Cordish, no one really knows yet the configuration of the new theater complex, or how the existing space within will be divided, since no blueprints have been made public. The descriptions of the layout of the renovated facility have been vague.

The theater was not built as a movie theater, but a live performance vaudeville house. When it was converted for films, one screen was constructed on the stage in the main auditorium. Later, the balcony was enclosed, divided, and two more screens added.

I recall reading somewhere that there was a fourth screening room added at some point. It could have been built in part of the lobby, or perhaps even in what was originally the children's nursery. Does anyone know for certain?

the last time i went in the early 1980's, it was set up as a 6 screen theater, but, i am sure they are going to tear the daylights out of the interior before they redo it.