This is topic new 3 plex in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003648
Posted by Phil Radosevich (Member # 508) on 06-28-2002, 08:02 AM:
I am a small town theater owner in a draw of 13000. I'm in the planning stages of building a new three plex with a drive in out to the north. Does anyone have plans for sale that a person can buy that can be sealed for the state of Iowa.
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 06-28-2002, 09:16 AM:
You might want to look at trade magazines like "Boxoffice Magazine" and look for advertisements for theatre design firms.------------------
Adam Fraser
www.pinestheatre.com
Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 06-30-2002, 12:46 AM:
Wow, 13000 is brave.Does the American estimate approx 9 or 10 thousand people per screen for viability?
Don't want to the devils advocate, but all the luck in your venture.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-30-2002, 02:11 AM:
You might want to take a look at the area draw, and not just the city. Is is a movie going town or not?I know of a two-screen theatre in a town of 6,000 that has trouble surviving. On the same token, I knew of a 6-screen house in a town of 6,000 that was a gold mine, and 4 screens were added. That made it a bigger goldmine until a corporate purchased it. Last I heard, it was doing poorly.
Before you make the leap, do alot of footwork. How far away is the comptition? Can you go state-of-the-art for your dream? How many seats? does it "pencil out" under the worse conditions, such as horrible product?
I am a grease monkey - so these are just a few thoughts I would have. Maybe they mean nothing.....who knows?
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-30-2002, 09:02 AM:
Buying of Stock plans are typically not a good investment since there are many site variables and even down to local city code requirements
Over at Bigscreenbiz.com Mesbur/Smith archetiects have a design forum going
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 06-30-2002, 10:21 AM:
You may be able to use a prefab structure. Check with Sonic Sales in Iola, KS.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-30-2002, 11:58 AM:
For years Butler Buildings were sold for prefab theatres
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-30-2002, 03:29 PM:
Here in Salt Lake Utah, we have a very old and very longstanding three screener that has been around for a very long damn time, so long that it predates my birth.It has a large, i think 70 footer screen upstairs, with the smaller 30 foot screeners downstairs. They play the new film on the big one and rotate it downstairs when the next big film comes out. It is on like its fourth owner but it is still raking in the bucks.
Dave
Posted by Phil Radosevich (Member # 508) on 07-01-2002, 07:24 AM:
My frist thoughts were to build a twin as I already own a single that we just did a remodle on a few years back and we would like to keep it open until its 100 year anniversy witch is in 2013. I have been in contact with a company that is trying to convince me to built a 4. I was under the impresion that there are standards that are used to keep from over building. That must not be the case because of all of the places that the big boys are closing. Where I plan to build is in the county and the only codes I have found I have to follow is the state fire marshal and submit plans to them that are drawn by an architect. The draw area is 13000 in the county and the closeest plex is 40 miles away.
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 07-01-2002, 05:16 PM:
with thirteen thousand people, a three screen is as big as you want to go, with no more than 1000 seating capacity total. Even then you could probably only support one or maybe two shows per day, if you keep a film for only about three weeks total. You would have to have half the population absolutely always going to see movies at least once each week. I would have a survey done to find out just how often people in the county see films, and from that you can deduce how many screens and what seating capacity you would need, based upon operating hours.
Dave
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 07-01-2002, 05:46 PM:
Phil, how far away is the closest competing theater from this town (in drive time)? Is it a stand-alone theater? Or is it part of a mall or some other separate "attraction" that draws people? If there's a major mall with restaurants and a movie multiplex 20 minutes away, when someone in your small town wants to get out, see a movie, and maybe do some shopping or go to a restaurant, what are they likely to do? Go to the local movie theater, or go to the "big city"? Around here, Cinemark 17 in Springfield killed a 2-screen theater in Cottage Grove, barely 20 mins. away, population ~10,000. Cinemark is in a major mall.
Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-01-2002, 10:16 PM:
My old company made a modest financial return on a 5-plex in a Minnesota city of about 7,000. Also, having family in Iowa, I know that if you advertise in the right places, people from many towns over will take a drive to see a well-presented movie.Kinda like Field of Dreams except with slightly less dead people. 
Posted by Phil Radosevich (Member # 508) on 07-02-2002, 06:21 AM:
The closest In drive time is 40 min away its a 5plex downtown. I have talked to these people and there plans are to build a new 6plex some where there. The next plave is about a hour away again a new 8plex downtown. Im just trying to protect my market. I had a twin build in the mall in our town back in 95 in the mall but it burnt down in 99 and aren'tgoing to rebuild for now.
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 07-02-2002, 12:59 PM:
This suggestion may not be possible, but some towns have done this. Work with the city/county goverments and try and secure rights to cinema projetion, preventing the goverments from issueing building permits to other would be cinema owners.Here in salt lake, utah, larry miller did just that, not with cinema however. It was with the UTAH JAZZ basketball team. He built a new arena and was able to get a no compete contract with the city and county on venue. The city county cannot host anything that he can host in his building unless he turns it down.
Like i said, it is not something that may even be possible, but it is at least worth a look at.
Dave