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<br />L.; ~I.nnins ^us\Uc 2000
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<br />The Show Must Go fIf'.rl'
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<br />Lincoln, Nebraska, home to the University of Nebr;¡sk:J. and the state
<br />governme:nt, has been a pioneer in encouraging movie mc:--..ters co operaee
<br />in the downeow\1 rather th:ul disperse to the suburb:L"1 strips. Irs method:
<br />a government ordin:mce that prohibitS movie megaplexc:.s from being
<br />built outside me downtown.
<br />"In the early 1980s, a bunch ofdeparone:ntstores had closc:dup or were
<br />about to dose up," says Kent Sc::lcrest, a lawyer involved in Lincoln's
<br />efforts to kee? mc::lters downtown. Lincoln (pop. 215,000) h;;.s a com-
<br />bind city-county planning c:iepartment that rc:.sponded in 1982 by
<br />drafting a poiicy stipulating clm movie thc::lte::; could be built only in
<br />.egional shopping cenrerzonc:s-one or chose zones being the downtown.
<br />The ordinance, as amended in 1984, dic:-..ated that if the new theater
<br />were to be: buiit outSide the downtown, me owner must first erI"! OUt a
<br />market st'..lay showing clue mere was a sufficient dem:md. "We thought
<br />downtown Lincoln was still a nice plac: to come at nigiu," Seacr:st
<br />recalls, "and we:'ve: gOt to make sure it doc:.sn't dwindle like every other
<br />city."
<br />
<br />In 1996, when what Se:acrc:.st refers to as mulci-monster compla:s
<br />be:gan m be: the: :heater indusery norm. Lincoln cighte:ned its ordin:mc:,
<br />foroidc:iing coI".StI"..lc-.ion of any compl!::'. with mere than six screens
<br />outside downtown.
<br />"Ie's keF" Lincoln's downtown vital and acicing, " Mayor Don Wesely
<br />Sü.ys of ò: :hc::ltl:: siring policy. Downtown has rc:-.:úne¿ its standing as
<br />,Ú c:õ.pical region's theater magnc:-., and currently COnt~ns 22 or the
<br />:"::-.coin a:~'s 38 screens. "You've got co de:l::rnine what your downtown
<br />is going to be aDou:," Mayor W c:sdy s:¡ys. "We W:L"lt ours to be an
<br />:m:r:aínme::: ::n:e:. W: ne:ed a gaÒC!'ing piac:."
<br />The nu.:rÒe:: or restü.urants, coff:: houses, and ornl:: eating ã.nd
<br />cirinki::g ?iace:s in downtown Linc:Jin has :xpancic:d ¿ramã.tically in
<br />~:::m ;-,::.:-s, partiy because: or me: chc::ltl:: policy, according ,0 Sc::l::I:S,.
<br />;- repl:::: ;:l ::he arc::lS where ó: tÍ'l:ate:s. :estaW':!.ncs, and bars are :onc:n-
<br />::atd has ou!:st:ippd the v:úu: of property c:lsc=where in downtown.
<br />Some ::ti:s have EoHowed Lincoln's c:""..:lIIlple. Stockton, C¡¡Jliornia, last
<br />ye::: aåop,d a five-yc:-..r mor-..torium .on const:uc:-..ion of rnulri-scrl::n
<br />complexes oucsicie ,he ciowncown core. The mo~torium hc:iped enec:
<br />Civic Partners of Case:;, :vl~a. C:úiicrnia. :0 ag::e to ouiid :in 18-scr::n
<br />cine::la anà an IM.<\X mc:-..t:: in chI: downtown, aà.i:ace::: 1:0 the oid
<br />Stockton Eote:, whiÒ is being r:ruraisnea. Tnc:-..te: construc:::ion has noe
<br />y:t oegun.
<br />Michae: Beyard of the ü rban ="'nd Instltu!:e notes that Santa Monica.
<br />Caliiom i:., has adopted. zoning mat permits movie tnc::tters nc::lI' its Third
<br />Scree': ped:mi3.n mall and has zoned cinemas out of eve:y ome: ¡ocacion
<br />in the city. Such rc:.srric:::ions work best in ciries :hat don't have to worry
<br />:'DOUt competicio!! from neighboring municipalicies.
<br />Annl: Ricke:, principalln the Denver-basedL:land Consulting Group,
<br />says. "I tÍ')ink me:: should be a moug.:¡tful ~ysis oiwha: the trade-om
<br />[oi ã. thc:-..te:: siring poiicyj are. Recognize chat you're giving up revenue on
<br />rill: iringl:, OUt you've: gained a hl::l.Írhie: downtown."
<br />One:: pot:mial dr:,wDack of arc:suic:rivl: poiic:" is that it may mak: it
<br />I:"'...sie: for onl: :hc:-..te: chain co c:iominat: the local market and keep OUt
<br />compc:-.irors. Some Lincoin moviegoers .:ompi:ún about acing the ~prive
<br />:t:lStomers or a local company Òat has not UPgr-...dc:::i itS c.hc:--..tl:rs ,0
<br />s--.:ldium sc::l:ing :.nc omer C"..:::e:¡t ame:Üci~. On the pius side, Lincoin
<br />has not 5U:Te:l:¿ a r::.sh or closings or oidl:: mc::ate:s.
<br />A.c :his writing. t.~C!'e is calk chat LinCDin may yc:-. gc:-. its fuse mc:gaplc.. If
<br />tÍJ.:¡: h:1ppc:ns, one of t.:¡e Miciwc:st's gou.in¿y pic:zant àowntowns will
<br />fur...ne: se':.lI'e its se:;,rus as a movie C::1 tc:r whe::: :he marque:: neve: w::u dark.
<br />
<br />M;,ny mulri!,lc::c~ f:or:¡ d,e ¡ 970s and ¡ 98C
<br />are.f.ilìng. coo, be~we of height end cor:¡?~
<br />ririon. "Some ~f the sixple:x!:S a.nd I:~ iex::
<br />are being demolished." says Brae: 5;.1.
<br />downtownmanageme:nrc~nsuJramwici-. Fro
<br />g:r:ssive U roan Manageme:1t .Associat~ i~
<br />Denver. "What is the lifl: expec-:ancy" for m'
<br />nc=w m~aoa.pic:xc:s? Segal asks.
<br />Noone: knows c:::.c:ly how many me
<br />sc:e:..'1S an arc:-.. will support. .W e: alw-...ys s....
<br />it c:tÎ<c:.s 10,000 peopil: pc:: s:::l:e:1." says ..A..nn~
<br />Ricker of . the Lc:la.n¿ Consulcing Group, t
<br />Denve: org2I1izaåon that Kl:epS close cabs or.
<br />theater indus::q m:nds. "Now it te:1ds to b::
<br />fewe:-5,OOO to 10,000 pC!'sc:e:.."1."
<br />The 5,OOO-pe:-sc:l:e:l standard may worK
<br />if theaters can lurl: more moviegoc:."S rh4U1 it.
<br />che past. The FOrt Laude:d;.le-basc:d Muvic:
<br />chain, which will ope:;,tl: a la-screen cinema
<br />in Wc:.st Palm Beach's fou:-block CicyPlac:
<br />development, offers on-sitl: child-care se:vic:
<br />(for the pricl: or ã.n aàclt movie cicke:) :õ.t mas::
<br />oritS Florida loc:acions, to arm.c: parems wne
<br />might othl::wisl: sray home.
<br />Anothe: concl:m is ci:at if uchite::r.ur-.Jly
<br />ince:escing ole builèings and old-time mer-
<br />chants are sacrificed for new com?Ic:x~ char
<br />featUre mainstre:am fiims, n;,tional 'I::s,
<br />:õ.nd c..:¡:ún r~t;,ur:õ.n:s, chI: discinctivt.......ss or
<br />oider downtowns m:.y bl: dilured, ultimately
<br />damaging cneir cities. In PittSburgh, debate:
<br />has raged for momns overwhe:he: downtown
<br />would be h=ipc:d or hurt by Mayor Thomas
<br />Murphy's plan Eor a big new mi."'teà-use dc:vei-
<br />opme:1t r.>"at enc::.Üs Òe gucting or ¿I:moiition
<br />or 61 downtown DuiJdings.
<br />
<br />De~igning for pcde~triuns
<br />One of ::.he ,asks facing urban d!:Signe:s is
<br />how to ac:ommodarl: large, windowless the-
<br />atl:: buildings and hundreds orparking spaces
<br />while making ,he surroundings appealing
<br />for pedestrians.
<br />On Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, the new
<br />Lincoln Cinema has a five-story-high lobby
<br />rac:;,de or colord glass, which dazzlc:.s pass-
<br />e!'3by with views of people. activity, wd.de::or
<br />inside che 18-scrl::n com?ia. "It gives some-
<br />ching baà to the strl:et,' says its architccr.
<br />Bernard Zyscovich, of Miami. The auditori-
<br />ums are s::acked on diffe:!:.'1t 1C'/ds, lc:-..ving
<br />room for ground-floor rer-..il be:1eath muc..~ of
<br />the compi=:.
<br />A 287 -C:u' garage was built nc:arb,. .Jut,
<br />Zyscovich says, "we did not provide a w-...y to
<br />go dir-ecr.iy &Offi che parki.'1g to the movi~.
<br />Customers must ins!l::id walk chI: sidc:walk.s,
<br />pass shops, wci buy their ricKl:tS outside, in
<br />front of me cinema's Lincoln Road entrance."
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