ArcLight Shows Interest in New SaMo Theater

Three boutique theaters, including ArcLight Cinemas, could be among those that submit plans to the city for a new theater at Fourth Street and Arizona Avenue in downtown Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports.

ArcLight is best known for its historic, geodesic-shaped Hollywood location on Sunset Boulevard built in 1963.

The other two that have "expressed some interest," according to the Daily Press, are are Florida-based iPic Theaters—which is opening a new theater at Westwood's Avco Center—and lesser-known LOOK Cinemas—which is opening its first location in Dallas this spring.

Film Market Exec Tells Santa Monica to Keep Its Promises

AMC was the city's first pick to open on the city-owned property where Parking Structure 3 stands today, mainly because it already operates all three cinemas on the Third Street Promenade and planned to eliminate some seats at an existing location. But in the fall, it backed out of negotiations because it said the project wouldn't make enough money.

AMC proposed erecting a 70,000-square-foot theater with 2,167 seats, plus restaurant and lounge space open to the public. A study found the new theater would increase traffic in downtown.

City officials have said they might still be able to reduce the number of theater seats elsewhere in downtown because the planning department gave approval in November to change the zoning on land where the 1,500-seat Criterion 6 currently operates to "general retail use."

For the full story on the three possible theaters, click over to the Santa Monica Daily Press.

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