AMC/Southroads/Promenade

[Townsend]

I was being sarcastic since that seems to be the first thing people try to gripe about anytime anything new goes in downtown.

I spend alot of time DT for entertainment.  I rarely have to walk over a block to any destination.

I never park in an American Parking lot as I feel they should not exist.  However, I do sometimes use the lots as a short cut as I did walking from Yokozuna to the PAC last weekend.

A movie theater at 2nd and Elgin would be wonderful especially if it has a parking structure and not surface parking please.

[Cats Cats Cats]

I think part of this idea has to do with liqour laws in Oklahoma.  I think there is something specifically about booze and movies.  I guess you could do 3.2 as it is considered food in Oklahoma.

[Cats Cats Cats]

I never park in an American Parking lot as I feel they should not exist.  However, I do sometimes use the lots as a short cut as I did walking from Yokozuna to the PAC last weekend.

I never park in them and sometimes ride with people who don't pay.  It is hilarious when they have their parking attendant out there asking for 5 bucks when you can swing around 20 feet away and park on the street for free.  They should seriously lower the parking to $1 and i bet they would make more money.  And people would actually pay.

[Townsend]

I never park in them and sometimes ride with people who don't pay.  It is hilarious when they have their parking attendant out there asking for 5 bucks when you can swing around 20 feet away and park on the street for free.  They should seriously lower the parking to $1 and i bet they would make more money.  And people would actually pay.

Not to drift too hard but who do you think was pushing for the parking meters to go until 8pm?  Another reason they can kiss my caboose.

Grizzle, didn't you have a fun time with AMC before?  I stopped going there a long time ago.  The crowds were annoying and the theaters were gross.

The last theater I went to is the one at the river.  (Star Trek.  It was so empty I could've Paul Reubens'd)

[TheTed]

Wichita has a downtown theater, as well. Springfield, Missouri has a downtown theater as well as a downtown Circle Cinema-type theater.

As for parking, a downtown theater would hopefully come with a garage and you would get your parking validated by the theater. Or at least that's how it's done in KC.

I saw a parking attendant guarding a giant, empty lot off Brady between Boston and Cincinnati the other night during a big BOK Center concert. Right before the concert started there were zero cars parked there. It warmed my heart.

[SXSW]

I think part of this idea has to do with liqour laws in Oklahoma.  I think there is something specifically about booze and movies.  I guess you could do 3.2 as it is considered food in Oklahoma.

They do it at the Warren in Moore.  They have a full bar for balcony patrons.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Malls in general seem to be in decline. 

Simon Malls ran Eastland into the ground by allowing it's takeover by the scum from the cesspool apartments around it. 

Woodland has decayed a lot in recent years.  (Another Simon Mall).  Probably only a matter of time before Simon buys Promenade and trashes it, too.

[SXSW]

Malls in general seem to be in decline.  

Simon Malls ran Eastland into the ground by allowing it's takeover by the scum from the cesspool apartments around it.  

Woodland has decayed a lot in recent years.  (Another Simon Mall).  Probably only a matter of time before Simon buys Promenade and trashes it, too.

Any decline at Woodland would probably mean some of the higher end stores moving to Utica Square.  Though there isn't a lot of room for expansion there.

Found this quote interesting about the Warren Theater from OKC Biz back in June:

Bill Warren, owner of Warren Theatres, today announced in a press conference that there are no plans for a second theater to open in Northwest Oklahoma City.

“We are going to be in Moore, and we will be the exclusive theater for the OKC metro area. This is our home,” Warren said, adding that the decision not to open an additional Warren Theatre in Oklahoma was not due to the economy, but to a recent corporate decision to have only one large complex per metro area.

Hopefully they are looking at Tulsa..

[Townsend]

Any decline at Woodland would probably mean some of the higher end stores moving to Utica Square.  Though there isn't a lot of room for expansion there.

More parking structures and infill would be lovely.

[JoeMommaBlake]

Hey guys,

Couldn't agree with you more about the current state of the movie theaters in town. With the ever improving TV and audio technology we can afford for our homes and the very short time between theatrical release and DVD/Netflix/On Demand release, the theaters are losing some appeal to former theater goers. Why would we go pay to watch it, when we can wait a bit and catch it at home on Blue Ray with surround sound? Kids go to the movies because it's an event for them. It's not about seeing the movie, it's about seeing each other and having a place to do that.

Like many things (most notably restaurants), just offering the same old thing isn't good enough anymore. Anybody in the entertainment business has to be thinking about creating experiences and bringing people together, lest they become obsolete.

Our plan is for a downtown theater that hopefully does just that. We plan to have a built from scratch theater featuring all digital screens. The current plan is for four stadium seating auditoriums with large, comfortable chairs with little tables for food, a couple of actual tables and some fun seating arrangements. Our grand theater will have a balcony. Additionally, we're planning for one flat floor theater with a live performance stage and round table seating. This will be more like a banquet hall and will be available for special events, but will also screen movies (think second run stuff and film festival screenings as well as live performances).

On top of that, we're planning two outdoor auditoriums. Coming off the patio of the large lobby will be two separate outdoor seating areas with the movies projected on to the side of the building. You'll be able to see the films from the patio seating or watch it in the grass on a blanket...or sit in an old cadillac on one side and an old 57 chevy on the other. These will be cheaper and more for fun than serious film viewing.

The large "lobby" wil be a very cool three story high space with terrazzo floors, a big chandelier, and a huge bar. It will be our "gathering place." Guests will be able to order food and drinks here and can hang in the lobby bar before or after the film, but can also take their food and drink into the auditoriums with them.

This will be a 21+ (or at least 18+) "restaurant/bar movie theater," but not like some of the others you've seen. We will not have wait staff in the auditoriums. You'll get your food and drinks in the regular lobby like at a typical theater. We'll just have great food (think chef prepared apps and small entrées) and drinks (cocktails and beer). The lobby room will really be something special. The big open space, the tall tables, the big round bar, and the respect we're paying to old Tulsa theaters will really make it a unique experience and a fun place to meet downtown (whether going to the movies or not). It will be the prettiest gathering spot downtown (no offense to Orpha's Lounge (the current title holder).

Our theater rooms are named after the old theaters - Ritz, Rialto, Majestic, Orpheum, and The Will Rogers Banquet Hall. Plans are underway right now. We've got more than a few options for a location, and are narrowing that down in the weeks to come. Preliminary sketches have been done (One Architecture is our architect) and are very cool.

You're right. If nobody beats us to it, my team will be opening this theater downtown (hopefully in the Blue Dome District, but land is getting tight there and the ideal spots may be hard to get). Once the site is picked and the final plans are done, we'll make the big $$ push and hopefully be open sooner than later. We'll need some investors for the project, but if I've ever had a project that shouldn't struggle to get investors, it's this one.

I'll sure appreciate your support as we move forward. This is likely to stir up some attention.

[nathanm]

That is incredibly excellent news! I especially like that you'll have enough screens and variety in auditorium sizes to have the option of screening less "blockbuster"ish movies. I'd love to see a steady stream of documentaries and the like. (yeah, I'm a geek)

[swake]

Hey guys,

Couldn't agree with you more about the current state of the movie theaters in town. With the ever improving TV and audio technology we can afford for our homes and the very short time between theatrical release and DVD/Netflix/On Demand release, the theaters are losing some appeal to former theater goers. Why would we go pay to watch it, when we can wait a bit and catch it at home on Blue Ray with surround sound? Kids go to the movies because it's an event for them. It's not about seeing the movie, it's about seeing each other and having a place to do that.

Like many things (most notably restaurants), just offering the same old thing isn't good enough anymore. Anybody in the entertainment business has to be thinking about creating experiences and bringing people together, lest they become obsolete.

Our plan is for a downtown theater that hopefully does just that. We plan to have a built from scratch theater featuring all digital screens. The current plan is for four stadium seating auditoriums with large, comfortable chairs with little tables for food, a couple of actual tables and some fun seating arrangements. Our grand theater will have a balcony. Additionally, we're planning for one flat floor theater with a live performance stage and round table seating. This will be more like a banquet hall and will be available for special events, but will also screen movies (think second run stuff and film festival screenings as well as live performances).

On top of that, we're planning two outdoor auditoriums. Coming off the patio of the large lobby will be two separate outdoor seating areas with the movies projected on to the side of the building. You'll be able to see the films from the patio seating or watch it in the grass on a blanket...or sit in an old cadillac on one side and an old 57 chevy on the other. These will be cheaper and more for fun than serious film viewing.

The large "lobby" wil be a very cool three story high space with terrazzo floors, a big chandelier, and a huge bar. It will be our "gathering place." Guests will be able to order food and drinks here and can hang in the lobby bar before or after the film, but can also take their food and drink into the auditoriums with them.

This will be a 21+ (or at least 18+) "restaurant/bar movie theater," but not like some of the others you've seen. We will not have wait staff in the auditoriums. You'll get your food and drinks in the regular lobby like at a typical theater. We'll just have great food (think chef prepared apps and small entrées) and drinks (cocktails and beer). The lobby room will really be something special. The big open space, the tall tables, the big round bar, and the respect we're paying to old Tulsa theaters will really make it a unique experience and a fun place to meet downtown (whether going to the movies or not). It will be the prettiest gathering spot downtown (no offense to Orpha's Lounge (the current title holder).

Our theater rooms are named after the old theaters - Ritz, Rialto, Majestic, Orpheum, and The Will Rogers Banquet Hall. Plans are underway right now. We've got more than a few options for a location, and are narrowing that down in the weeks to come. Preliminary sketches have been done (One Architecture is our architect) and are very cool.

You're right. If nobody beats us to it, my team will be opening this theater downtown (hopefully in the Blue Dome District, but land is getting tight there and the ideal spots may be hard to get). Once the site is picked and the final plans are done, we'll make the big $$ push and hopefully be open sooner than later. We'll need some investors for the project, but if I've ever had a project that shouldn't struggle to get investors, it's this one.

I'll sure appreciate your support as we move forward. This is likely to stir up some attention.

That sounds really, really cool. I certainly would go someplace like this for movies.

[OSU]

:bunch of words about awesome stuff:

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

I love the idea of having liquor at a movie and that there won't be any underage kids.

[TheArtist]

Sounds fantastic.  Selling "experiences" is definitely the latest buzz word.  The usual trend of buying lots and lots of "stuff", has started giving way to more and more people wanting to buy experiences.  Having lots of things has started to become,,,unsatisfying, but if you can sell a great experience, people will come knocking.