Movie Theaters in Detroit - Alamo drafthouse, and Big Sean-Emagine Theatre

**shawring** · February-07-19, 03:23 PM

Does anyone have any updates on The Alamo drafthouse, and Big Sean-Emagine Theatre, I haven't seen any progress at all on Alamo, or heard anything about Emagine, A movie theater in Downtown/midtown/new center is critical

**NSortzi** · February-07-19, 03:58 PM

Nothing has been said about the Alamo in awhile. Last we heard about Emagine was that they’ve picked two sites and are still determining which will be the final one. That was a few months ago.

Didn’t you ask this a couple months ago?

**dtowncitylover** · February-07-19, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

Didn’t you ask this a couple months ago?

Barely, OP started a thread on Dec 30 about stalled developments.

People, calm down. What will happen, will happen. What doesn't, doesn't.

**401don** · February-07-19, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Barely, OP started a thread on Dec 30 about stalled developments.

People, calm down. What will happen, will happen. What doesn't, doesn't.

Yeah it's not like Spider-man 14 will be any different than 13.

**JonWylie** · January-13-21, 11:05 AM

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices...oject-long-way

This is the most recent update, according to Crains.

This will be Emagine's first theater in the city, but like Bedrock, it has been beset by delays of its own on its ultimate vision: the Sean Anderson Theatre Powered by Emagine with Detroit rapper Big Sean.

Nearly three years ago, the planned theater was announced before a site had been secured.

Since then, it's been a long, winding road of negotiations — not to mention a global pandemic that has shuttered theaters for months — that ultimately have not produced a suitable location, although at one time, the company was trying to team up with Ford Motor Co. to put what would have been the world's largest flat movie theater screen around Michigan Central Station in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood.

Now Emagine is zeroing in on a site in Midtown for that project, which is about $20 million and would have nine screens, Glantz told me this morning. He declined to identify the site but provided some details: It's between 3 and 5 acres and is next to existing parking in the Midtown neighborhood.

I'm sure we can find a select few plots that this could fit on, there aren't that many 3-5 acre plots left for development in Midtown, unless they plan on tearing something down. Of course, Midtown gets used interchangeably with some other areas as well, so who knows.

**Vitalis** · January-28-21, 01:37 PM

My Covid-fogged mind is trying to recall the Renaissance 1-2-3-4. Having worked at the RenCen in the late 70s - early 80s, I went there after work or I'd actually come back down on the weekends. Were there simply not enough of "me" to keep this theater going? Did GM truly need that space? There was a moment there when you could park for free - directly under the complex - [[after 5pm), go to a show, then off to Nemo's for drinks and appetizers, and make it an evening. More recently, with the Winter Garden restaurants, one could imagine a multi-plex succeeding. Perhaps one of you knows the hard economics of such a notion?

**K-slice** · January-28-21, 03:41 PM

Wow, and I was ready to put the final nail in this thoughts coffin with Covid basically killing cinemas everywhere. I'm surprised, and actually really happy, this is still on the table.

RenCen isn't enough of a destination to draw a crowd that wants to do dinner and a move. The distance from CM and other bars and restaurants I'm sure was also detrimental. I also had heard it was a rowdy crowd, although I can't say that's true from personal experience.

**MrChrome** · January-28-21, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Vitalis

My Covid-fogged mind is trying to recall the Renaissance 1-2-3-4. Having worked at the RenCen in the late 70s - early 80s, I went there after work or I'd actually come back down on the weekends. Were there simply not enough of "me" to keep this theater going? Did GM truly need that space? There was a moment there when you could park for free - directly under the complex - [[after 5pm), go to a show, then off to Nemo's for drinks and appetizers, and make it an evening. More recently, with the Winter Garden restaurants, one could imagine a multi-plex succeeding. Perhaps one of you knows the hard economics of such a notion?

The ren cen theater is still there. GM has not done anything with the space since it closed.

**Jason** · January-28-21, 09:03 PM

I thought the theater was removed and turned into the "GM Learning Center"? Or is the learning center just the same theater rooms but used as auditoriums for GM events?

I think a theater would be successful in the Ren Cen but it would have to be a good one and it would have to be advertised. There's more people and interest in downtown in general. And on the east side the closest movie theaters are north of 15 Mile. So if you create a cool high quality experience there are people around.

The thing about streaming services killing movie theaters is that the movie theaters they're killing are meh suburban megaplexes. I don't know for sure but I think nowadays most of the people aren't going to see a movie for the sake of seeing a movie [[they could just wait a bit and stream it), they're going for the sake of the movie theater experience, and the suburban megaplex experience isn't worth how much they're charging. A family could easily spend over $100 to see a movie so you either have to make it more affordable or you have to make it special.

**softailrider** · January-28-21, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jason

I thought the theater was removed and turned into the "GM Learning Center"? Or is the learning center just the same theater rooms but used as auditoriums for GM events?

I think a theater would be successful in the Ren Cen but it would have to be a good one and it would have to be advertised. There's more people and interest in downtown in general. And on the east side the closest movie theaters are north of 15 Mile. So if you create a cool high quality experience there are people around.

The thing about streaming services killing movie theaters is that the movie theaters they're killing are meh suburban megaplexes. I don't know for sure but I think nowadays most of the people aren't going to see a movie for the sake of seeing a movie [[they could just wait a bit and stream it), they're going for the sake of the movie theater experience, and the suburban megaplex experience isn't worth how much they're charging. A family could easily spend over $100 to see a movie so you either have to make it more affordable or you have to make it special.

Before the Coronavirus we would go to the movies once a month at least, maybe twice a month. We would go when there was something good playing we wanted to see. Not into spending money to see crap. The multiplex theaters around us were usually pretty busy on the weekends, I never thought the experience was bad at all. Am I going to go now and sit there with a mask on for 3 hours? I don’t think I’m doing that.

As far as the Ren Cen theaters go, I’m surprised they lasted as long as they did. Parking is confusing, getting around those buildings are confusing unless you know the lay of the land. Too many moving parts.

**Gistok** · January-29-21, 01:37 AM

As TV screens get bigger, going to a multiplex gets less and less appealing, especially if you have unpleasant experiences with people talking in the theatre during the movie.

Some of my favorite theatre experiences were in the 1990s... going to the Fox for a summer Saturday matinee taking all the kids in the family and giving them the old movie palace experience. My nieces and nephews who had never experienced such an event, they loved it.

Of course it was just main floor [[orchestra level) seating, and sadly after a year or two the Ilitches stopped it.

**313WX** · January-29-21, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

As TV screens get bigger, going to a multiplex gets less and less appealing, especially if you have unpleasant experiences with people talking in the theatre during the movie.

The only catch is, I have yet to find a decent home [[store-bought) equivalent to freshly popped and buttered movie theatre popcorn.

Better Made's popcorn in a bag was the closest, but when I tried it recently, it wasn't nearly as good.

That alone will keep me and other individuals going to the multiplex.

**gumby** · January-29-21, 07:34 AM

Now Emagine is zeroing in on a site in Midtown for that project, which is about $20 million and would have nine screens, Glantz told me this morning. He declined to identify the site but provided some details: It's between 3 and 5 acres and is next to existing parking in the Midtown neighborhood.

Only large plot of land in Midtown near existing parking would have to be in the Ilitchville Parking Emporium, right? Old Cass Tech site or maybe by the Hammer and Nail Building on Woodward.

**shawring** · January-29-21, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by gumby

Only large plot of land in Midtown near existing parking would have to be in the Ilitchville Parking Emporium, right? Old Cass Tech site or maybe by the Hammer and Nail Building on Woodward.

I would assume old cass tech site

**EGrant** · January-29-21, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

The only catch is, I have yet to find a decent home [[store-bought) equivalent to freshly popped and buttered movie theatre popcorn.

Better Made's popcorn in a bag was the closest, but when I tried it recently, it wasn't nearly as good.

That alone will keep me and other individuals going to the multiplex.

Nothing beats a popcorn and fountain Coke!

**Gistok** · January-29-21, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

The only catch is, I have yet to find a decent home [[store-bought) equivalent to freshly popped and buttered movie theatre popcorn.

Better Made's popcorn in a bag was the closest, but when I tried it recently, it wasn't nearly as good.

That alone will keep me and other individuals going to the multiplex.

Buying one of these vs. going to the theatre a few times... the machine would pay for its self...

https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-CCP...83935774&psc=1

**Satiricalivory** · January-29-21, 03:50 PM

Why the hell would they announce the project before they even had land??? No wonder it's been "delayed", it wasn't even in the planning stage yet.

**softailrider** · January-29-21, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Buying one of these vs. going to the theatre a few times... the machine would pay for its self...

https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-CCP...83935774&psc=1

Tried to talk my office manager into something like that. I even told her I would pay for a life time of the popcorn kernels [[probably 20.00) She asked who was going to clean it [[not me)

**ShadowSoarer** · September-14-21, 02:02 PM

Was wondering if anyone has access to this article?

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices...heater-detroit

This is the only thing that I am able to gather from the article:
Proposed Emagine theater site in Detroit revealed as Wayne State lot

Emagine Entertainment Inc. hopes to build its Detroit movie theater oin a site that is being partially used for construction of an I-94 bridge that will ultimately be moved to another location.

**NSortzi** · September-14-21, 10:35 PM

I don't have a Crain's subscription either, but the site is probably the parking lot on Palmer between 2nd, 3rd and the Ford Freeway.

**ShadowSoarer** · September-14-21, 10:45 PM

Don't have subscription either, but believe it is Wayne State Lot 22 where they are currently staging equipment for I-94 construction [[just based on article previews). Really odd location:

Attachment 41676

**Gistok** · September-14-21, 11:36 PM

I can't read the article either, but the 3rd Ave. bridge over I-94 is already gone, not to be replaced due to the future rebuilding of the I-94/Lodge interchange. I find it hard to believe that at least part of that site won't be needed for the I-94 widening and interchange rebuild.

**Lowell** · September-15-21, 08:44 AM

This had not been sealed and nothing in the article seems to address parking which, as most likely know, if very scarce there. Maybe they big WSU lot will suffice but it seems a stretch.

Emagine Entertainment Inc. wants to build its new Detroit movie theater with rapper Sean "Big Sean" Anderson on an oblong Wayne State University-owned property off I-94 sandwiched between a pair of parking structures near the law school.

The vision for what the university calls Lot 22, however, has been slow to proceed and Paul Glantz, cofounder and chairman of Emagine, said that while he hopes to reach an agreement with WSU, his alma mater, he is beginning to explore other unspecified areas in the city as a backup plan.

Wayne State publicly acknowledged in late June that Emagine was a finalist for university property but that announcement flew under the radar. Wayne State declined to comment for this piece.

"We aspire to reach an agreement with Wayne State and we would be delighted to locate on their property," Glantz told me.

This marks the first time a specific site has been publicly confirmed for the planned $25 million theater, which was announced in February 2018 as the Big Sean Theatre Powered by Emagine.

But things have been largely quiet, disrupted in no small part by a global pandemic that crippled the movie theater industry.

Sources told me several months after that announcement that there were negotiations to put the theater at Michigan Central Station, which Ford Motor Co. had just paid $90 million for, but nothing materialized.

Plans call for a 10- to 12-screen multiplex that would seat between 1,000 and 1,300 people. It would include a music venue that could also host events such as lectures, seminars and comedy shows.

A plan to build a nine-screen Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas LLC location on a roughly 1-acre property on Stimson Street off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard west of Woodward Avenue was torpedoed in December 2019 after an arrangement for 300 parking spaces to accommodate moviegoers could not be reached.

**JBMcB** · September-15-21, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

This had not been sealed and nothing in the article seems to address parking which, as most likely know, if very scarce there. Maybe they big WSU lot will suffice but it seems a stretch.

They could do a multi-level building with parking on the bottom floors and theaters above.

However, the location seems crazy. You'd probably have decent foot traffic in the winter and spring from the university. However, the university would be mostly empty during the big summer movie season. You can put a nice big sign on the building facing I-94, but there is no easy way to get to the theater from that freeway. You'd have to get off at John R or Beaubien and snake your way through side-streets. From the Lodge you can get off at Grand Boulevard and that wouldn't be bad.

A location over by Woodward would make more sense.

**NSortzi** · September-15-21, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

A location over by Woodward would make more sense.

The southwest corner of Woodward and Warren thats seldom used WSU "parkland" seems like an ideal site. I never really understood why they demolished the buildings that were there.