In this week’s committee of the whole, city council will discuss how, if at all, they can work to save downtown movie theatres from being sold off and torn down.
The motion was penned by Councillors Matt Dell, David Thompson and Krista Loughton, who say they want to work to save cultural spaces where residents can enjoy accessible arts experiences, such as seeing a movie in theatres.
Currently, there are three movie theatres remaining in downtown Victoria: Capital 6, The Vic Theatre and Cineplex Odeon. All three of these theatres provide space to the Victoria Film Festival, which has brought droves of film-lovers into downtown Victoria for over 30 years.
With ever-increasing downtown commercial rents, these theatres could be at risk of being lost to development or sitting derelict until a new buyer takes over the space.
“Downtown cinemas play a vital role in supporting local culture, walkability, and economic vitality,” said the trio of councillors in their motion.
“Unlike suburban mall movie theatres, downtown cinemas bring people into the city centre where they can walk, bike, or take transit. Moviegoers grab dinner before the show or drinks afterward, supporting local restaurants and shops.”
They added the goal is to keep downtown lively, benefitting the neighbourhood and the businesses in the area.
Recently the Cineplex Odeon theatre on Yates Street was listed for sale, with a price tag of $8.5 million.
The site has been a theatre in Victoria since 1948, though it has seen many renovations and iterations since that time.
The three Victoria councillors working to save this theatre and others like it aligns with the City’s Strategic Plan to “support small businesses and the visitor economy, and work to strengthen and add vitality to the downtown core,” and to “invest in artistic, theatrical and musical spaces.”
“The loss of downtown movie theatres would also be particularly detrimental for the capital city of Canada’s second-largest film production hub,” wrote the councillors.
“British Columbia’s film industry brings in over $2 billion annually and supports more than 70,000 jobs – yet Victoria risks becoming a capital city without a multiplex cinema.”
According to the Councillors’ motion, the City has many tools at their disposal that help support the retention and establishment of theatres.
Some of these tools already in use are that current zoning for all downtown lots allows theatre use and the Official Community Plan recognizes the importance of cultural venues.
Possible tools being pitched are establishing bonus density incentives or zoning variances that could support heritage conservation and cultural infrastructure.
“The Odeon Theatre, for example, is listed on the Heritage Register and located within a Heritage Conservation Area, which supports its key features through permit requirements,” wrote the councillors.
Additional ideas for tools that could be used to preserve theatres or build new ones are:
- Exempting theatre floor space from density calculations, encouraging theatre inclusion through density bonuses and emulating Sidney’s approach to supporting Star Cinema
- Fast-tracking or relaxing requirements such as parking minimums, height or design requirements for projects that retain or integrate theatres
- Strengthening heritage tools by exploring additional designations for historic theatres
- Considering the inclusion of cultural infrastructure like cinemas as eligible public amenities during rezonings
- Exploring whether any City-owned land downtown could help enable future theatre space through public-private partnerships
- Considering embedding stronger language around retaining cultural venues, including cinemas, in the Downtown Core Area Plan
Ultimately, Dell, Thompson and Loughton’s motion would call on City staff to report back with any additional options that could help save Victoria’s downtown theatres.
City council will discuss this motion in this week’s committee of the whole meeting, scheduled for Thursday, June 5th.
The endeavour to save the theatre was in part brought on by a petition started by ‘SOSYYJCINEMA’ to have council address that the theatre could be lost.
You can find the petition online, here.
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