Anyone who has passed by the old Silver City site (photo left) in south Windsor lately knows how depressing the look of the former cinema is, with giant boards now presumably bocking a gash in the side of the derelict building, which has been heavily vandalized. But there's hope for the site yet - and as a new first class theatre! Prominent Windsor developer Joe Mikhail is proposing to revitalize the building and has been speaking with another theatre chain of doing just that. But that chain won't come to Windsor unless there are substantial financial incentives. So Mikhail is asking the city to waive the increased taxes that would result if the buiding is redeveloped - amounting to almost $2 million over 10 years. The city offers just such an incentive through its Community Improvement Plan (CIP) grants. Mikhail said he would offer some free rent to the cinema chain as well. Mikhail has developed the big box retail area that surrounds the site and is worried that if a new "first class" cinema is not built those other retailers, including several restaurants, will pack up and vanish. In a letter to the city he makes an emotional plea. “We would be much better off to simply take down the property and reduce the property taxes to vacant land,” he said. However, “it would be the wrong one for the city and its need to have a second venue for entertainment” other than Devonshire Mall's Cineplex. (Tecumseh/Lakeshore also has Imagine.) Mikhail said the theater in fact was a catalyst for attracting other commercial to the south Windsor "big box" retail district more than two decades ago. Who knew cinemas could be such magnates? “The theatre introduced Costco to the area, which lead to a majority of huge boxes to follow," he says. "Its draw created a reason for Walker Road to become the dominate retail sector in the city, which then allowed residential growth to multiply.” Ominously, Mikhail said a current “major retailer” has already indicated that “if the theatre is not open, they will move their store outside of Windsor.” And more would follow. “With the relocation of this space, all restaurants in this area will also move or be forced to close," he said. "Other big box in the area will likely look at following this move towards Tecumseh. It would not be difficult to see the city’s tax base on Walker Rd. would diminish considerably.” The developer has the support of city planning staff. Now the matter goes before the city's development committee and then city council.
The Media City Film Festival, Windsor’s internationally renowned experimental film festival, moves to mid-autumn this year, almost immediately following the city’s more mainstream (not quite the right term but you get my drift) film festival, the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF). The experimental festival, now in its 26th year, features filmmakers from around the world, many renowned in the genre of inventive and creative cinema. The festival runs Nov. 7 – 11 and more than 50 films and digital works will be screened. WIFF runs Oct. 26 – Nov. 5. Last year Media City was held earlier in the calendar year. Both festivals stake out the Capitol Theatre downtown as their home bases.
As I puruse Netflix's movie lineup for the first time in two years my opinion is mixed. Perhaps it's my choices but I'm watching films that straddle a middle ground between made-for-TV flicks and theatrical cinematic efforts. I'm calling them "Netflix films" though I know Netflix has peoduced weightier works. Examples are Plus One (Jeff Chan & Andrew Rhymer, 2019) and Can You Keep a Secret? (Elise Duran 2019). There's nothing wrong with them, it's just that you'd like a little more to chew on.
No comments:
Post a Comment