In the fall Kitsilano.ca wrote about the Hollywood Theatre’s 75th birthday but a report in today’s Vancouver Sun implied that the legendary cinema may not be around for its 76th. Owner David Fairleigh confirmed with the Vancouver Sun’s John Mackie that the Hollywood will “probably” be closing.
Hollywood Theatre to close?
The theatre at 3123 West Broadway has an assessed value of $2.426 million and according to the Sun is rumoured to be on the market for $2.9 million. A price that Leonard Schein of Festival Cinemas believes is too much and will likely rule out the property being run as a theatre.
Schein’s company leases two neighbourhood theatres, the Park and the Ridge. And he hinted in the Sun article that the Ridge’s days may be numbered as well.
“The whole shopping centre [the Ridge is in] has been put up for sale by our landlord,” Schein said. “If someone buys it he or she may decide to tear down the whole shopping centre and build condos and other retail there, but you never know until there’s a new buyer. They may decide to hold the location for years, or they may decide to redevelop it.”
How would you feel if the Ridge and Hollywood Theatres no longer operated in Kitsilano?
Photo: Weirdnose on Flickr
Last modified: March 26, 2011
The Ridge complex has been up for sale/redevelopment since forever-it’ll take someone with *a lot* of money riding a thriving economy to make anything new work on that most awkward of sites.
Look @ all the empty spaces on Burrard St @ 1st & 3rd Ave and along 4th Ave now-how long will it be until viable businesses fill those spots?
I visit the Hollywood theatre often (usually once a month) and I will be so sad to see it close. What can we do? Gutted.
The Hollywood to close!?!! Please say it isn’t so. I have been going regularly to the Hollywood for years and love having a second run theatre in the hood. It will be a very sad day indeed if it does close.
Sadly second run and repertory theatres are under attack from 42″ plasma TVs in the home. There isn’t much that can be done to reverse it. 20 years ago people were bemoaning the loss of the drive-in theatre too. We call it ‘progress’ but an experience is lost that will never return.
It is sad to see this theatre go after 75 years. I have been a loyal visitor to the Hollywood and we should come together as a community to preserve this community theatre, which is indeed an icon in our community. Were are our residents associations to declare this building a Heritage Building and change it from its B heritage Status Classification to an A status. This was our theatre that served our community. Lets save it
Just heard today from someone at the Varsity Ridge Bowling Lanes that the Ridge Theatre and the whole block has been bought out by someone. They all now only have a two year lease. Then what? Condos? Expensive ones too? Ugh.
No mercy for an iconic cultural heritage space. True – no one goes out to see movies anymore or to go bowling, but the Ridge was doing a great job renting it out for film festivals and other entertainment events. Could it not become a mixed use venue? Have heritage theme movie night parties…everyone dress up in roaring twenties outfits and watch black and white silents! We have to be careful that Vancouver although is populated, does not become empty of cultural soul!
Good riddance. What Vancouver really needs is another 3…maybe 4 story cookie cutter condo building with some sort of uninteresting store like a Tim Hortons downstairs. Not some old theatre with character, jeez, who wants that.