posted 05-05-2012 02:07 PM                    

quote: Edward Havens

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The Brenden Pittsburg 16 in Pittsburg CA, the first theatre in the Brenden circuit, closed its doors after 22 years this past Sunday. Maya Cinemas is said to be reopening the building by Memorial Day.

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posted 05-07-2012 02:37 AM                       

Oxford Movies down but not out - yet!

Oxford Movies has been showing movies in the Oxford Town Hall since it opened in 1931, and showed movies at a predecessor hall for fifteen years before that, but the show has come to an end, for at least a while.

The Oxford Town Hall has been closed due to needing earthquake strengthening - it meets less than 30% of the current building code.

We're hoping for a new Oxford Town Hall facility with a dedicated cinema in it, with digital and the old 35mm changeovers. Hoping...



The Press: Public buildings closed by council

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Six community buildings in the Waimakariri District have been closed because of earthquake damage.

The Rangiora and Oxford town halls, the Cust Museum, the upper storey of Hansens Mall in Kaiapoi, and the Pearson Park pavilion and Jaycees room in Oxford are off-limits from today while strengthening work or structural assessments are completed.

The Oxford Town Hall will need about $2 million of earthquake strengthening to reopen on its current site.

The Rangiora Town Hall closure will affect the movie theatre above it, and the lessee is working through alternatives with the Waimakariri District Council.

Repairs to the quake-damaged Kaiapoi Wharf Shed have been deemed uneconomic, and the building will demolished early next month.

Council chief executive Jim Palmer said the decision to close the buildings was crucial for public safety, despite several community facilities in Kaiapoi already being out of action because of quake damage.

"While we recognise ... that these closures will serve to exacerbate that shortage more widely across the district, the safety of the community is paramount," he said.

Mayor David Ayers said councillors had "reluctantly supported" the closures.

Council manager of community and recreation, Craig Sargison, said the closures were part of a long-running assessment of public buildings in the district.

"We've had the initial assessments done as everyone did after the quakes, and then we've been doing more detailed seismic strengthening assessments."

No more public buildings were likely to close, he said.

"The others just need very minor works done to them, which we can do while they stay open. They don't pose any immediate threat to anyone," he said.

Yesterday's announcement was news to at least one tenant.

Cust Museum curator Bernard Kingsbury was not aware of any closure notice.

"The museum doesn't open until Sunday and we've been trying to ring him this morning [Friday]," Sargison said.

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The Oxford and Rangiora town halls will be demolished if earthquake-strengthening bills are too high.

Both buildings have been closed since last month because of quake damage, and the Waimakariri District Council will next week consider options for repairing or replacing them.

The Oxford Town Hall needs an estimated $2 million of strengthening work, but council chief executive Jim Palmer said the cost may be too high.

"A question that's been raised around the council table is does the community want to invest that $2m into the old Oxford Town Hall or would it be better to use that to create a new building for Oxford?" he said.

Waimakariri deputy mayor and Oxford councillor Kevin Felstead is pushing for demolition of the old hall.

"Common sense says you don't spend $2m on an old building and still end up with an old building," he said.

"I think we should demolish the town hall and pavilion and build a new multi-purpose facility.

"My preference is to build it down in Pearson Park, where the pavilion is at the moment. It wold have more multi-use because it sits right on the sports field."

A private meeting of town hall users would be held on Tuesday night and a public meeting was likely to follow.

Any new building would probably have to built within the $2m quake-strengthening budget, Felstead said.

"I think we'd be hard pushed to expect them to come up with more than what they were going to have to spend anyway."

The Rangiora Town Hall is more complicated as the council has to consider longstanding plans to add a performing arts centre to the building.

Quake strengthening would cost $3.8m, but the extension would push that out to $7.5m.

A replacement town hall would cost about $5.5m and a new centre with performing arts facilities $10.5m.

Palmer said repairing and extending the existing building was the council's preference.

"The council will want to make sure that that is the best option and it will want to consider the merits of a new building and the cost implications of that."

Community views would also be considered, he said.

At its first meeting of the year next week the council is expected to approve more than $600,000 for quake strengthening 16 buildings

About $20m has been earmarked for more substantial repairs to public buildings, including the Rangiora Town Hall, the Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre and a new Kaiapoi library and museum.

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