Downtown Royal Oak has first-run theater potential

Posted by Eric Brown | Filed under life

Downtown Royal Oak has first-run theater potential
Hometown Life, 6/4/2009
Royal Oak already has the Main Art Theater, which is a gem of a place. Yet movie goers in the area still need to drive to Birmingham or the Star John R to see first-run flicks. Well, it’s possible that this trek might not need to be made in the future, as Emagine Theaters is setting its sights on the Royal Oak.

Imagine this: A 10-screen movie theater for first-run films, 12-lane bowling alley and bar that serves alcohol in the vacant lot at the northwest corner of 11 Mile and Troy in downtown Royal Oak.

Excerpt:

To go forward in Royal Oak, Glantz needs the approval of the City Commission to transfer a liquor license from Berkley. If accepted, he will apply for an amendment to the planned unit development for the vacant site where plans for a second high-rise condominium or Plum Market were scrapped, according to Tim Thwing, Royal Oak’s director of planning.

A four-deck parking garage behind the condominium tower and on-site parking could serve theater patrons, Glantz said.
“It turns out to be an ideal site for us,” he said.

Read the entire article here.

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Permalink | June 9th, 2009

18 Responses to “Downtown Royal Oak has first-run theater potential”

  1. Kevin Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 8:53 am

    Am I the only one who immediately thinks that the City will find some way to screw this up?

  2. Kevin Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 8:54 am

    By the way, what happened to the really cool website? It’s all white now. I think your site got corrupted.

  3. jr Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 10:53 am

    This is a hot mess waiting to happen.

  4. Matt Dibble Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 11:16 am

    Haha… that’s funny. Exact same thing I thought… “boy, how is this going to get vetoed?”

    I am giddy at the thought of it. And why not? The movie industry is coming to Detroit in force, and Royal Oak should be leading the way as the first class movie destination for the entire area.

  5. Eric Brown Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 11:37 am

    The listed thread was a side conversation going on on twitter about how this ma effect the Main Theater

    @matthewdibble: @RyanMeray @Eric_Urbane Right. And while it’s a different genre, it’s still a share of the wallet for a night at the movies.
    about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet · Thread Show ConversationHide Conversation

    @Ryan-c-300_normalMedetroit_normal
    RyanMeray: @MatthewDibble @Eric_Urbane That’s a tough question. Some of the Main’s biggest earners are movies that often cross over to mainstream.
    about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet · Thread Show ConversationHide Conversation

    @Medetroit_normalEb-a_normal
    matthewdibble: @Eric_Urbane @RyanMeray How much do you guys think that will negatively affect The Main? Always nervous about the state of independent film.
    about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet · Thread Show ConversationHide Conversation

    @Ryan-c-300_normalEb-a_normal
    RyanMeray: @Eric_Urbane I’d rather have an MJR. Emagine hasn’t gone to all-digital screens yet, and they’re spendier.

  6. Matt Dibble Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 11:59 am

    Is it ridiculous that I was nervous about giving anyone a “reason” to shoot this idea down?

    I just have so much love for what the Main does for this town, I’d hate to see a fancy new dollar come in and hurt their business. Of course, it might force them to change and be better at what they do.
    Maybe the future is in shorts, such as the Mitten Movie Project that takes place there once a month.

  7. Eric Brown Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Hey Matt,
    My opinion is that Indy Films draw a certain crowd and niche market that s first rate cinema can’t deliver. It also provides an opportunity for the Main Theater to become things that a larger company cannot do.

  8. Matt Dibble Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 4:20 pm

    No doubt. And they’re doing that kind of stuff, supporting their crowd with festivals and events.
    And like I said, another large movie complex would give us a film environment in RO that no one else in the D can touch.

  9. Brandon Says:
    June 9th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    I think that Main will actually do *better* if there’s a big movie joint in town. This happens with restaurants all the time — a new “competitor” opens up across the street and business actually goes up for the original restaurant. People think about going to a city/ neighborhood to eat first and then think about which restaurant. Here, people could — if the City stops trying to stifle growth (see, Blackfinn & New BBQ Place) — start to think of Royal Oak as a movie/ film destination and visit more often.

  10. Nate_LapT Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 3:44 am

    I don’t think this would hurt Main at all, I personally haven’t been to Main yet, but isn’t 90% of their films indy, or old?
    Meaning you wont see it anywhere else anyways

    I fear when I finally get funds approved for my venture the city may reject me :(

    I want to build a much smaller entertainment industry (I prefer not to say at this moment) and my eyes have been on RO for the past few years. Be nice to work/play/live in the same city.

  11. Eric Brown Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 7:51 am

    Nate, Good Morning, Thanks for stopping by,
    We would love to hear more about your ideas when you are ready,

  12. Matt Dibble Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    It is all independent films, I believe. I’m not sure of the specifics of it, but everything ran (other than their midnight showings) is independent, I believe.
    But it’s still the money in the wallet for a night at the movies. In that sense, it is direct competition… and just a building over. I don’t see a situation in which that can be healthy for business at the Main. I think we’re all looking at it through rose colored glasses because we all want it to happen.
    It might be a different product, but it’s the same event for people looking to go to the movies. If you were running an ice cream shop, you sure as hell wouldn’t want a frozen yogurt shop to move in right next door. Different product but it’s the same event for someone going out to spend money.

  13. Jamie Favreau Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    I am on the fence about it. I have been to the Main Art Theatre before and I totally understand the core audience. But at the same time, there is ONLY so much entertainment dollars to go around. I know first hand by working in arenas that it is hard to come by.

    Plus, with the bells and whistles the Emagine brings it is bound to hurt some of its business at first. Then I hope it comes back around.

  14. Matt Dibble Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    It’s impossible to argue against a new bowling alley anywhere, though. We can all agree on that, right? :)

  15. Sean Dunlop Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

    If I could walk to dinner, then walk down to a theatre @11&Troy to see a movie and after bowl till 2am… Well I would be very happy :)

    (I agree that the Main Art is a niche theatre, I go there to see indy films, and it totally adds to the culture of the city. - A theatre with new releases would enhance our city that much more.)

  16. EC Says:
    June 29th, 2009 at 1:38 am

    It will compliment the Main Art. I just hope that Emagine is willing to build the theatre to fit in with the downtown–close to the sidewalk and appear to part of the downtown, not just in the downtown. It would be so nice to not drive to Sterling Heights to see a movie (MJR) and walk 0.5 mile to go to a MAINSTREAM movie. If you build it, they will come.

  17. Eric Brown Says:
    June 29th, 2009 at 7:45 am

    Good Morning EC,
    I agree with your comments. It sounds as though parking at the condo neighbor would be utilized, so hopefully we would not have a sea of parking and the project could be built close to the sidewalk. I just hope to see it get built and allow the downtown area to grow and prosper.

  18. Anonymous Says:
    January 23rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm

    how much money do u need for one show

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