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<br />..
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<br />Flix Nh 5 jx
<br />
<br />By Philip Langdon
<br />
<br />The megaplex goes downtown.
<br />
<br />:~:l:::ation afr.~: most ofAm::riea's downtown
<br />:1ovi:: paiac::s cios::d m::ir cioors or converted
<br />:::I Stag:: snows-or parking lots-giant movi::
<br />:1::a(:::$ ar:: back. Now the:" n: call::::i m::g-..pic::r.~
<br />nd arc all doll::d up with 15, 20, or mor::
<br />. ::':::::::1S. And Ó::y ar:: serving a.s anÒors for
<br />m:::tainm:::.:u a..'1d :-:::::ail complex:::s.
<br />hr.. or m:: 16m Sm:::nransitmall in down-
<br />)wn D:::we: is ..nÓor:::d DY De:1v::::, Paviiions,
<br />C"vVo-biock":ong n::aii, restaur-..nt, and :::m:::,-
<br />únm::::u ::Or:l::'¡::: :.~atin¿uci:::s 15 moviesC:'e=.s.
<br />.;.:: :e-:iving ::iowmown ofW:::st Palm BeaÓ,
<br />. ::i... is aDDU: :0 g-:: a 20-se::::::::1 eompl::x
<br />.: air:::: :.1::: Pa:is Ooe:a. And i.'l downtown
<br />
<br />~'3.sr:ing:or.. D.C., ::-.r:::e mui:ip::::x::s ar::: un-
<br />e: ::o::.s:::.::::io::. net::: ,\1id:a::: 3::vard, vic:::-
<br />resic::::: 0: :.'1::: ..... ,:Jan L;¡nc ~::stirur::. On::
<br />ili ::;¡ve 2') ::: 25 5:::'::::::::5, :wc :n:: ':WO otn:::,s
<br />ill ?roDa~i:... ::õ.v::: :Dou: : 0 s"::::::.s ::-aÓ.
<br />
<br />!:UJI~l~ ¡lli!!nin:!
<br />':::"lC::O?:::-s, :near::: ope:-ators. and local offi-
<br />als õ.r::: aii :'1inKing :h:: sam:: way. Cty i::ad-
<br />'S arc: ::::wision::1g :::::t::::-ra1nm:::¡t as a criÒ::-.J
<br />g:-C:~:::1: ::1 :.~:: :utur:: of downtown, whii::
<br />,:::1t:::: Óa.ins ar:: striving ror a :J.::W ievd ot
<br />:c;t:::m:::1:, and d::vciope:s ar:: wuming to
<br />
<br />¡mpi::X:::5 that mix re:aiiing, :::n::::::ainmem,
<br />Ie OtD::: us::s..:...s Bc::nrd pu::; it, "Finally mt:::
<br />
<br />,. , "
<br />an~:s ar:: a¡¡g::llng.
<br />:=:-~r:: Jam:ar;" 1998 to January 2000, tnt:::
<br />L'TID~: or movie sc::::m in m:: u.S. jumped
<br />. 5,300, :0 a r::cord high of 3ï,185, mt:::
<br />ationai A.'ssaciacian of Thcarte:: Ownc:s rt:::-
<br />
<br />- ., .,.."
<br />f".s. vv:::'::xpanS1On:las ca1..!.Seanna."lc:aJ. prOD-
<br />TIS Ear so::::: "-1.:::at:: comDani:s and has
<br />
<br />lc.:: :..::m at l::-...s, tte::'!1porarilywary or ope,,-
<br />'ffiF'lex::s in a.r:::s ::hat ai.::::a¿y have reia-
<br />
<br />:lew tÌ1e3.t:::s. Non::tn6~s, cities from
<br />JU~u::qut::: :0 ?:t'"..Òurg::. ute: avidly se:.~ng
<br />X::::-Ll.S: à~¡dcpmt::::ltS tn..r inciudte: state-
<br />ene-ar.. :'"le,m::s.
<br />Expte::ts ::i:: several r::-...sons ror r.~e re:::lt
<br />
<br />'g: Qt ciownrow!'. m:gaplex::s:
<br />
<br />, ':
<br />
<br />. Growing downtown populations. Big crit:::s
<br />such as Chicago have experie:1c:d a boom in '
<br />downtown and n:::ar-downrown housing as
<br />young people and empcy-n~tm gravitate to
<br />city c::::lters. Demographic projte:ccions sugg~t
<br />m:: market for downtOwn living and urban
<br />attr-¿Ctians will grow during mis de:adl::.
<br />. Tneate:- innovarions. Tn::ater chains arl::
<br />trying to boost att:ndanc:-and bear meir
<br />comoecirors-bv building comoic::r.:::s that have
<br />. , ~.
<br />stadium-style searing, digital sound, and orner
<br />::nhancl:::ne:m of tn.:: :novi~-gQing expe:ie:1c:.
<br />. Diversification of d:veiopers' risk. Deve:-
<br />opers incr:asingly like :0 combine varied. us~,
<br />such a.s ::u::::ain:n::rlt, r::;;,iiing, omc::s, ..nà
<br />in som:: instanc::s housing, "because it pro-
<br />vici::s mar:: ciensity and mor::: F'rotec::or: in
<br />::::se :her::'s a downtUr::l in one of mei: us:::;,"
<br />
<br />says Beyarci.
<br />. Improvd urban manage:ne:n. Business im-
<br />provement districtS and otht:::: organizations
<br />have upgraded. m:: cleanliness and saf~:y of
<br />m..ny uÓan comme:cial ar:as, making ciÜ:::s
<br />attractivt::: destinations again.
<br />. Consrr:únts on suburban locations. "Tn::::' s
<br />so m uÓ tramc and so much difficulty gmmg
<br />around in me suburbs, and so much opposi-
<br />tion to sprawl, " says Bc::/ard.
<br />
<br />Alive after five
<br />Mix::d-use enre:::a.inm~m compl::..~t:::s have
<br />pi::-...se::i sponsors suÓ as Downtown D::nve:
<br />Partne:ship, the public-privat: pa.-r..'1c:ship
<br />t.."..t org--..niz:d Ül:: 5104.5 million Denve:
<br />Pavilions coU::c-.ian at snops, :t:::sraurants, and
<br />Òaters. "The cl1eaters have b~:n doing phe-
<br />nomt::::-.al.ly," Par..:-.:rsh.ip spokesman Ben Kelly
<br />says or Òt::: Unitt:::¿ .Ar.iSéS cinema ar j)t:::nvt:::r
<br />Pavüiom.
<br />Tn: campi::: "brings a lot ot nign=::ime
<br />a:::jviry" to a downtown :hat for scveral years
<br />was ~::::::::: or movie :haters. Kelly obse:v~.
<br />"That is a.bsolurdy critical to making a down-
<br />town ma: doesn't clost::: up af::r fiv~ o'clock."
<br />
<br />11-2J
<br />
<br />I:
<br />
<br />Millennium Partnc:s has had ue.'!'1endous
<br />financial succ:.sswicitits Lincoin SQuare com-
<br />plex on Broadway jUSt north of:'incoln C::n-
<br />te: in New York City. The SjOO million,
<br />rhre:-bloc:k compiexinc1udt:::s an :nenddsta.y
<br />hot::l and 600 conciominiumapartmenrs, which
<br />solei for a.pproximat;::ly .$600,000 to $5 mil-
<br />lion apit:::ce. On me pro.ie::-..'s lower floors are
<br />an IMAX rhe:uer, 12 0[:;':'1e: movie sc:e:.:1.S,
<br />Reebok SportS Club, Barnes & Noble, and
<br />Towe: Records.
<br />
<br />Millennium c:.:::at~ an entt:::rtaÍnmenr-ori-
<br />enre¿ ::nvironm::nt at srr:e: It:::v::i in its urban
<br />complexes. On cop Ot Úlat retall-entertain-
<br />m::m base, L'-1e company builci5 lu.,,<ury hous-
<br />ing and hord rooms. "';)Ç':: IlK: to get the
<br />condos as hign up a.s we :.an," says Mjll::n-
<br />nium spokesman MatÚlew Hall, ::."<plaining
<br />tnar the farther mt::: conåos rise abovt::: strte::::t-
<br />It:::vel noise and into me sKylin::, the more
<br />people will pay to livt::: in en::."!!..
<br />Do movit::: compl::xes be:lefi: rte:tailing?
<br />Eruc:: MacLeod, chit:::f operaÒng officI::: of
<br />the New York-based Palladium Company,
<br />which is dev::loping West Palm Beach's
<br />CityPlace, has tentatively condudt:::d that
<br />cheaters ge:¡eratt::: imme::iiatt::: and substan-
<br />tial sales rar only a limited number of nearby
<br />businesses, such as rcStaurants and music
<br />stores. Ev~n so, cinemas are usually good
<br />for downtowns. "Gt:::t me custom:::s used to
<br />coming to ehe location," MacLeod reasons,
<br />"and they'll come back whe."1. mey're on a
<br />shopping trip."
<br />
<br />Good-bye to tht, old .';tllff
<br />The arrival of meg-..piex,:::¡ sque~~ olde:- me-
<br />..t:::rs, howev~:. "MaS[ historic. singie-scree.'l
<br />movie theaters are opt:::ratec as indepe:¡den!S-
<br />and indt:::pendenr m:aters are dying rapidly
<br />be:aust::: mey have littlc mark::t mwell:: with
<br />fJim distributors," says Ke:-.n:dy Smith. head
<br />of the Main Sue:: program of me Na.cional
<br />T rusr for Historic P:'~s:::'lar;or:.
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