Tuesday, January 25, 2011

IMAX Theatre in Worcester

Harry T commented in this post about putting an IMAX theatre in the Worcester Memorial Auditorium. It got me thinking about IMAX and where the existing theater's were in New England:

IMAX Theatre's in New England as of January 2011
Sure seems to me that Worcester could use and also support an IMAX, especially given that there are already theatre's in the Lawrence, Providence, Manchester and Hartford markets. What is interesting to note however, is that of these four cities, only the one in Providence, is actually located in the city - the rest are located within suburban shopping malls. It's also interesting to note that there is no such thing as a stand alone IMAX - they are either part of a museum, in a Jordan's Furniture, or part of a traditional cinema complex.

I could see an IMAX theatre in one of the larger Lincoln Square buildings as part of a plan to develop the North Main area as a museum destination (See Jim M's post suggesting a museum of space in the AT&T building in North Main). I could also see an IMAX theatre coupled with a traditional theatre complex as part of a larger entertainment complex associated with the proposed Pitch at Wyman-Gordon Field near Kelley Square. I really think that the Canal District has a future as Worcester's 24/7 entertainment district and a cinema complex with IMAX would complement other ongoing efforts in the area. There was talk about City Square having a movie complex back when Berkley still controlled the deal, but I think a theatre complex with IMAX integrated into the urban fabric on the Wyman-Gordon site near Kelley Square is a far superior site than in City Square (I would much rather see the Paris Cinema/Capitol Theatre on Franklin St. rehabbed as an art cinema in this location).

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the plug, Eric ... my cousin suggested the IMAX idea to me, albeit at the Worcester Memorial Auditorium ...he also pitched using the Courthouse as a Quincy Market themed building with a year round farmer's market to help complement the student populations of WPI, Becker and MCCHS in the immediate area there... all great ideas... but money makes the world go around... let's hope Worcester lands some whales to provide the necessary $$$$$

    Harry T
    Worcester,MA

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  2. Paris Cinema already was a great arts cinema before being pushed out by a XXX operator willing to pay a higher rent back in the 80s. In fact the group that ran it as an arts cinema now run Cinema 320 based at Clark U.

    I believe the Mayo Group now owns the Paris Cinema and unfortunately it is slated for demolition.

    DavidZ

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  3. I've given a lot of thought to the old Capitol (Paris) theater. I don't know the whole story on the condition of the theater, but my impression is that it is salvageable and recent plans for at least some theater capacity had been considered but fell through. My understanding is that the MAYO Group would consider its redevelopment were a feasible project to be put on the table, but I could easily be wrong. Though MAYO seems to do most work in house, they don't strike me as the kind of organization that would not welcome a partnership. I think the greatest hurdle to its development is not its condition or the viability of the project per se, but its local image as a porn theater; most locals get grossed out about this place when you mention bringing it back to life. Whatever it becomes, some serious PR stressing that its been super-cleaned and sanitized will have to take place. Besides, demolition seems tricky given the party walls with the occupied buildings on Portland Street. the Capitol is apparently one of the area's oldest "atmospheric" theaters and is done up in a Spanish Colonial style and rivals the best existing theaters of this era. I've been told has one main theater and two smaller ones, an impressive lobby, a precariously strange projection booth and--this is the strange one--a church! Go figure. This theater would make an almost ideal spot for a cafe/dinner theater in the same vein as the Bijou or the great McMenamin Brothers theaters in the Northwest. I have no idea if an IMAX would be feasible, but why not? (My vote is to put it in the new Museum of Space!) My favorite story to date about this place is when Steve Sandberg and friends founded Cinema 320 here in the early eighties there were no seats, so they went out and found some old salvaged ones and installed them at their own expense. Then when the new owner refused to extend their lease, they removed the seats again and made him buy them back! Viva Cinema 320!

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  4. Interior photos of the Paris cinema:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/50992596@N00/sets/72157623538417917/

    Harry T
    Worcester,MA

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  5. Thanks for posting these pics, Harry--they're great!

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  6. The should renovate the Paris and show classic movies there.

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