Page 5 - CinemaRecord #81

YARRAVILLE: Construction of two additional
boutique auditoriums is underway on the rooftop
of the historic Sun Theatre. The popular “pop-
up park” in front of the building is also now to
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MELBOURNE: Some 20 years after closure,
the Midcity signage on the former Hoyts
Midcity complex was removed in March.
The two original auditoriums were eventually
reduced in size to serve as Chinatown Cinemas
which now only sees sporadic use.
MOONEE PONDS: Moonee Valley Council ALEXANDRA: The Town Hall Cinema
has approved development plans for a 10 was forced to close in late December due to
storey building fronting Young Street to prohibitive cost of installing digital projection.
include a cinema and hotel, and a four-storey
arcade fronting Puckle St which is believed to
encompass the former Moonee Ponds Theatre MELBOURNE: The Marriner family have
building.
put forward a proposal which would see the
Forum Theatre completely restored to its 1929
DAYLESFORD: The 100-seat community glory as part of a $70 million development
cinema set up in vacant arcade space behind
the former Rex Theatre will cease screenings WKDW ZRXOG LQFOXGH D VWRUH\ KRWHO DQG RI¿FH
complex to be built on the site of the Melbourne
at the end of April due to a dispute with the Theatre Company’s long empty, Russell Proposed tower behind theatre
landlord. The group will remove all seating Street Theatre. The Forum celebrated its 85
th
DQG HTXLSPHQW DQG KRSH WR ¿QG D QHZ YHQXH WR Birthday on February 23 having opened as the
operate from. Arcade owners hope to attract a State Theatre in 1929.
new operator to the space.
MELBOURNE: Denied heritage protection,
the Palace Theatre in Bourke Street will
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refused a new lease by the owners who plan to
replace the 1916 building with a 72-metre high BUSSELLTON: The Busselton Drive-In will
hotel on the site. A demolition application has be closing at the end of the current season when
been submitted. 35mm prints will become unavailable. The site
will be developed as a housing estate but it is
SURREY HILLS: The former Surrey currently waiting on environmental approval
Theatre has been under demolition to allow for from three levels of bureaucracy (federal, state
redevelopment of the site. and local government), as the trees on the site
are the habitat of an endangered species of
ST.KILDA: The George Revival Cinemas possum.
closed at the expiration of its six month lease
and the space will now be converted into BUNBURY: The $65 million Eaton Fair
apartments. Shopping Centre near Bunbury will include an
eight screen cinema complex.
CRAIGIEBURN: United Cinemas will open
WKHLU ¿UVW 9LFWRULDQ ORFDWLRQ DW &UDLJLHEXUQ COMO: The heritage Cygnet Cinema has
Central Shopping Centre in 2014. received a $100,000 grant to perform upgrades
and maintenance to the building. They were also
MELBOURNE: Constructed in 1966 on the able to obtain a second hand digital projector -
site of the old Savoy Theatre, the Total Car ex the Piccadilly Cinema.
Park building which once included the modern
Total Cinema, is under threat of demolition DONGARA: The Dongara/Denison Drive-In
with a proposal to build a 70-level hotel and Theatre ZLOO VFUHHQ LWV ODVW ¿OP RI WKH VHDVRQ RQ
th
apartment complex. April 20 . The venue is operated as a fundraising
venture for the local lifesaving club. Hopefully
this won’t be its last season.

CINEMAREC ORD 2014 5