By Jonathan Friedman

July 22, 2010 -- The proposed AMC movie theater project for Fourth Street and Arizona Avenue received mostly favorable reviews at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting. The issue of parking was raised since the complex would replace a City-owned parking structure, and it has not been determined how those 324 lost spaces would be replaced.

Kansas City-based AMC Entertainment Inc. and its project partner Metropolitan Pacific Capital have made an ambitious declaration that this complex will be the best movie theater location in all of Southern California. Existing Santa Monica movie theaters, of which three of the four (including all the ones on the Third Street Promenade) are owned by AMC, are considered out of date. Local movie theater attendance has gone down significantly in the past decade.

The 83,000-square-foot complex would include 12 screens with 2,197 total seats along with 2,100 square feet of retail space. Also, an interior restaurant that would be open to non-theater-goers is proposed. The main attraction would be a four-story-high IMAX auditorium with 3D capabilities. This theater would also include pre-assigned seating, preventing long lines of people waiting outside.

“I think this is a huge plus for the City because none of my family and friends really like to come to Santa Monica (to see a movie),” said Commissioner Jim Ries, who said he was concerned about building the complex on Fourth Street. “They go elsewhere. And I do think that it’s more appropriate to keep Santa Monicans here.”

Andy Agle, Santa Monica’s director of Housing and Economic Development, said the temporary solution for the loss of parking during construction is that some monthly Downtown parking will be moved to an area below the library and to the Civic Center structure, freeing up spots for Downtown shoppers. There are several options being considered as permanent solutions, including building parking facilities on nearby City-owned properties.

John Warfel of Metropolitan Pacific said he is confident a parking solution will be found, and it is in his company and AMC’s interest that this happen.

“We want to see this worked out too,” he said. “We have no interest in seeing 324 spaces disappear and be gone, and not come back. And we have no interest in taking those spaces offline and not having an interim plan. I think the City is well on its way. And I think this is one of these issues where the best situation will be worked out as part of this process.”

There is no plan for parking at the theater location. One of the reasons given for this is that it gives visitors the option to explore more of Downtown before and after seeing a movie.

“We’re close enough that people will come to our facility, see a movie, go back to Third Street, and go to those restaurants, go to that retail,” Warfel said. “And we want to be part of this district. We don’t want to be an outlying outpost where people come and park, go to a movie and go home.”

A couple commissioners were concerned about the movement of the theater experience to Fourth Street. The Criterion, which was recently purchased by AMC, could be demolished. And there is the possibility of the Broadway 4 closing.

“Spreading the success (of the Promenade) is great,” Commissioner Gerda Newbold said. “But I see as we have more housing, we are going to have more conflicts with late night noise and people living there. “

Agle said moving theaters away from the Promenade had been a concern for the Promenade Uses Task Force. But it was determined that constructing a contemporary theater on the Promenade was unrealistic. Also, members were encouraged by the concept of expanding the Promenade vibrancy to Fourth Street.

City Council members said last fall when they gave the go-ahead to begin the process for this project, that they want a limit on total Downtown seating, although an actual number was not established. One idea proposed to meet this demand would be to make sure the Broadway 4 is closed and future theater operations do not open in that building. But the building owner has publicly said he wants to keep it a movie theater, whether it be with AMC or another operator. This issue was touched on briefly during the meeting. Warfel said negotiations are ongoing.

Also as part of this project, AMC 7 will be restructured with stadium seating and other modern features. Warfel said he expects to reduce the seating by about 30 percent to 40 percent, and it will likely become a four- or five-screen theater.

Some issues that were raised during the meeting by commissioners included building an interior and frontage a Santa Monica feel, creating a connection with the alley and providing parking for bicycles.

A presentation on the project will soon go before the City Council. The proposal must undergo environmental review before going back to the Planning Commission and City Council for approval. The California Coastal Commission also has a say. Warfel estimated the permit process would take about two years and construction would last approximately one year.

This project will be part of a development agreement between the developers and the City. This means “public benefits” from the project are required. Some public benefits that are on the table include making the auditoriums available to community groups and for entertainment and cultural events, displaying public art and creating a transportation demand management program to reduce traffic.

"Spreading the success (of the Promenade) is great, "But I see as we have more housing, we are going to have more conflicts with late night noise and people living there."
    Commissioner
    Gerda Newbold

“We’re close enough that people will come to our facility, see a movie, go back to Third Street, and go to those restaurants, go to that retail. And we want to be part of this district. We don’t want to be an outlying outpost where people come and park, go to a movie and go home.”
   John Warfel