Cinema meetings hope to find future for Main Street icon
By MINDY TATE, Editor
mtate@williamsonherald.com
A national expert in restoring historic performing arts venues told attendees at a series of Feb. 15 meetings on the future of the now-dark Franklin Cinema on Main Street that they had to think bigger and beyond movies.
Paul Siemborski of Westlake, Reed and Leskosky, a design and management firm that has restored historic performing arts venues around the U.S., talked with prospective buyers, officials and members of the public about the Cinema’s future.
“You have to think beyond motion picture,” Siemborski told an afternoon group consisting of elected officials, citizens and possible investors. “Think art form that attracts kids and people. You have a chance not just to renovate this, but to tell your story.”
Earlier in the day, Andy Marshall, owner of Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant on Fourth Avenue, told Siemborski he felt the theater had promise as a performance venue as well.
“I see this as a venue that could actually house some pretty big names that like an intimate venue and to be able to be at their home that night.”
Siemborski said to think beyond just a movie theater.
“You need to take this room and make it more than a screen,” Siemborski said of the big theater. “You don’t need to be the biggest to be the best.”
The 9,000-square-foot theater appraised for $1.4 million, but owner Mark Bloom is asking $2 million for the property. If purchased the theater would require extensive renovations, to make it more appealing and bring the building up to code.
A meeting with possible investors and stakeholders provided a group consensus to maintain the cinema as a theater, at least in part, but to expand its use, and possibly its size as well, to convert the property into a cultural center for Franklin.
David Osborn, owner of Baja Burrito and the Blue Coast Burrito franchise, expressed an interest adding a restaurant to the building, possibly in the smaller theater, and revamping the concession stand. Other ideas included extending the stage to accommodate bands, local plays, and comedy tours.
Discussion during the day also centered around whether the theater would concentrate on first-run films — which require a costly commitment to run the show a certain number of times per week — or a less expensive alternative, such as “current” movies, which had been released several weeks earlier.
“What you eventually need to do is show people a vision,” said Siemborski. “It is not just that you are restoring this building to a hometown theater. You get them on board, you draw a little bit, show them the vision and then you get them invested.”
Staff Writer Valerie Nutt contributed to this report.
Posted on: 2/22/2007
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