Empire Theatres Granville shutting down

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – There used to be half a dozen movie houses along Vancouver’s downtown entertainment district and now the only one left standing is shutting down.

Vancouver International Film Festival Director Alan Franey says Empire Theatres will roll its last reel in about three weeks time.

Franey is sad and worried, not just because it’s been the home of VIFF for the last decade, but because of the trend he’s seen in the last decade.

“The ongoing sense that we’re losing a lot of venues in the downtown core, with property rates being what they are, the cost of being in the downtown  area…and what’s happening to motion picture exhibition in general where there’s new multiplexes being built in the periphery of the city rather than the centre,” explains Franey. “They haven’t  been able to draw large enough audiences for the cost of being in that prime real estate and there’s all sorts of possible reasons for that.”

Franey says VIFF will continue on with this year’s festival as normal, but will have to look into a new hub next year.

Theatre staff and festival organizers were told about the closure Saturday. It’s still unknown what will replace it.

News1130 has tried to contact Empire Theatres for details on the closure, but is waiting for a response.

Closure comes as a surprise to Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association

Charles Gauthier with the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association didn’t see it coming, but isn’t entirely shocked either.

He says theatres around the world are competing with cheaper, home-viewing options.

As for what could be next for that spot, he says probably not another bar.

“There is a bit of overcapacity there, from my perspective. I don’t know what that land could be used for. I think it’s par for the course for downtown. It’s always changing,” he notes.

And he’s not worried about the end of the theatre era, saying the strip has reinvented itself quite successfully over the last decade.

Meantime, the downtown landscape continues to evolve.

“We’ve seen a lot of announcements over the course of the last few months with regard to large properties like Sears becoming Nordstrom and the former HMV becoming a Victoria’s Secret.”

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