Redwood was one of several victims of the corrupt Montgomery County Council's failure to require developers to provide a replacement theater after the nearby Regal Cinemas closed in December 2016. A study showed a mainstream cineplex brings an average of 20,000 extra visitors to an area per weekend, 20,000 people who have now relocated their weekend adventures to other destinations besides downtown Bethesda.
38 comments:
It's all Regal theater's fault.
7:01am You must not live in Bethesda if you don't think our downtown should have a modern multiplex theater.
7:01: No, Regal was forced out by the County Council and Planning Board, as were all of the other tenants in the Apex Building.
I really would like to read that article that stated a mainstream cinema brings 20,000 people to a neighborhood each weekend. Do you have a link you can share with us?
I know that movie theaters we once considered a “silver bullet” for planners wishing to revitalize their communities, but I’m not sure that is still true given the high cost of urban cinema construction and the reduced profits in the movie business based on new streaming options.
A link would be helpful.
Seems like most new upscale developments have theaters these days.
This article in January of 2018 indicated that the movie theater business is at a 25 year low, and over 5.86% lower just last year. Primarily because of the popularity of Netflix streaming. They do indicate that box office sales are still high, primarily due to increased ticket cost at luxury cinemas.
Sort of like how iPhone unit sales are way down, but profits are still high due to much higher phone cost. Obviously not a very sustainable business model.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/3/16844662/movie-theater-attendance-2017-low-netflix-streaming
Here is the original article in Bloomberg, that includes a very scary plot showing the reduced attendenace at movie theatres. Perhaps the idea of a movie theatre as a silver bullet is a bit tarnished. No dought that an urban cinema can help populate a downtown and enhance other businesses, but I can see why real estate investors might not agree.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-02/hollywood-s-2017-is-a-bomb-as-moviegoing-slumps-to-25-year-low
Anonymous says he doesn't want a theater because he'd rather stay at home and watch Netflix.
Meanwhile, Tyson's new Boro walkable urban neighborhood's anchor tenant is a ShowPlace Icon Theatre, a new cinema with 14 state-of-the-art screens and upscale dining options.
To continue to insinuate that the County Council forced out the Regal Cinemas is as idiotic and absurd as a Rudy Juliani statement about collusion. You need to cease and desist with that attack on local government, it won't garner you any future allies.
8:18am you want our local media to be "allies" with our government officials?
That's certainly the local legacy media model, but not the free press our local democracy needs.
7:55 AM
I love going to a movie in a downtown setting, and really enjoy seeing all the movie attendees walking around before and after a show, and enjoying dinner or drinks.
I just was trying to point out at how the movie industry is struggling, and how expense it is to build in a dense urban setting. Opening a new urban or suburban movie theater is no longer a slam dunk. Yes they are wonderful, but to regulate them into being a requirement for a new development is simply a bad idea. If they make financial sense, then developers will certainly include them.
Bethesda does already have a very nice 8 plex cinema downtown, and easy access to many more nearby, even using the Metro to the AMC in Chevy Chase or Pike & Rose. And yes, a 65” 4K HDR Netflix movie in 5.1 surround sound at home is very nice as well.
8:46 AM If you're referring to the Bethesda Row Cinema, yes it is nice and offers independent/smaller films along with some blockbusters catering to a particular crowd.
They don't offer family fare and Bethesda is very much populated by families. You won't be taking the kids to see "Vice". That doesn't appeal to older kids either.
Also, while it was renovated a few years ago, it missed the trend towards recliners.
Silver Spring has it right- a smaller theater with independent films and a full multi-plex with recliners.
8:37AM - You know darn well that that was not what 8:18 posted. But hey, who needs the truth when making a snide remark? Obviously not you.
It shows why anonymous hates Dyer so much, he won't be an "ally" to our local elected government officials.
Remember the "Patch" best practice guidebook leaked a few years ago and it told its "reporters" to cozy up to government in order to have access.
How come Dyer's articles about the moribundness of Bethesda Row never mention Federal Realty's eviction of Barnes & Noble last January?
Hey 9:34 AM, thanks for the link. As I suspected, not really the same thing as the Apex site. The more likely cinema would be much smaller, like the hyper-expensive iPic Theater in Pike & Rose, with $17 tickes that is likely subsidized by Federal Realty to create a draw.
I still have some hope that JBG Smith might entice an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to locate at the site between 7200 Wisconsin and the Wilson office building, just south of the Apex site. They are building one in Crystal City.
The site south of the Wilson would be a great location to share office building parking, and close to the future Food Hall at the Farm Womens Market. and still close to all the eateries in Bethesda Row. Right on top of two rail lines and the Capita Crescent Trail as well. THey could expand the existing parking below without adding ramps, and add a tall residential or office tower on top of a multiple levle cinema on levels 2-4. The blank wals of the cinema would be adjacent to the existing above grade paring at 7200 Wisconsin.
Alamo seems to get great reviews, and ticket prices seem reasonable.
@ 8:37 AM says "our local democracy".
That's funny, Robert Dyer says that "the MoCo cartel is literally running the County as a Communist dictatorship - complete with Soviet-style "elections" and Pravda-clone Washington Post house organ."
The new "Downtown Bethesda Plan" is on track to produce quality housing and office space, but what of arts & entertainment? Not even much retail coming online.
12:56 PM
We did just get a 36,000 SF three story high Anthropologie & Co. Department Store, Pelton, Goodyear, Follain, Amazon Books and a new Shade Store. Four new art galleries were added in the base of the Cheval Building on Old Georgetown. The new flagship Antropolgie & Co. seems to draw quite a few folks.
A 12,000 SF realtor is moving into the long vacant first and second floor space just west of Anthropologie, and new JP Morgan Chase Bank is coming to 4749 Bethesda. Both not true retail spaces, more like service spaces, but certainly better than vacant. These two will draw some folks to downtown for real estate and financial services.
7:03 - Multiple generation native of the area thanks.
More about that cinema in Towson:
"The theater has had a curfew of 9 p.m. for unaccompanied customers younger than 17 since opening, according to manager Angela Graham. But in mid-September officials updated that policy to require that on Fridays and Saturdays those under 17 be accompanied by a parent after 5 p.m."
Yutes not welcome in the Nighttime Economy.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/towson/ph-tt-cinemark-policy-1003-20161003-story.html
8:02: What does a racist policy in Baltimore County have to do with the economic impact of a theater on a downtown area? Most downtown restaurants would eagerly welcome back the 20,000 people we've lost per weekend in downtown Bethesda since the closure of Regal Cinemas.
But thanks for reminding us that your bosses of "enlightened" Montgomery County previously endorsed a "loitering while black" policy at Downtown Silver Spring when it was politically convenient. I guess they share Hillary's concern about "superpredators."
4:09: Just compare the list you wrote to MGM/National Harbor or Tysons and it's laughable. The first step we have to take is to admit that we have a problem.
4:09: Have you actually gone inside Anthropologie? The actual store appears empty most of the time. Only the cafe has a crowd. There are already 1000 banks and real estate offices downtown - those are not going to provide foot traffic for restaurants.
7:55: Do they mention that attendance numbers are naturally lower in recent years because the trend of stadium seating and recliners has reduced the number of seats per showing? The idea that we would crash the downtown Bethesda economy because one hermit likes to watch Netflix at home is ludicrous.
Notice how Dyer never engages in conversation with "the Serial Shiller" but deletes all comments challenging his comments.
There are not "1,000 banks and real estate offices" in downtown Bethesda, and Bethesda did not "lose 20,000 visitors" because of the cinema.
"Do they mention that attendance numbers are naturally lower in recent years because the trend of stadium seating and recliners has reduced the number of seats per showing?"
First denial, now bargaining. I guess this is progress.
Admissions to theaters in the U.S and Canada slumped 5.8 percent to 1.24 billion in 2017, the lowest attendance since 1992, according to estimates from researcher Box Office Mojo. Rising ticket prices, up 3.2 percent last year on average, kept revenue above $11 billion, but that’s still down from the 2016 record.
Sequel fatigue, a weak lineup of films and diversions like Netflix kept audiences away. Moviegoers also griped about the cost of concessions like popcorn and soda too. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” was a bright spot for 2017, generating $533.1 million by year-end domestically to be the No. 1 movie. But even one of Hollywood’s most-loved stories couldn’t reverse the decline that started during the summer.
“The industry should be concerned if the metric falls again in 2018,” said Geetha Ranganathan, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “Especially with a stronger film slate for this year, fewer moviegoers would be a warning sign that the industry may be in secular decline.”
Besides falling attendance, theater chains and major studios are consolidating. In the past month, Cineworld Group Plc agreed to buy Regal Entertainment Group, the No. 2 U.S. chain, for $3.6 billion, and Walt Disney Co. reached a deal to buy the entertainment operations of 21st Century Fox Inc., including the company’s movie studio, for $52.4 billion.
The above article from Forbes did not even address the high cost of urban cinema’s and the problem of parking. Most movie theatres in America are vast one story building surrounded by a sea of free surface parking.
Of course you are correct that recliners and food and beverage service in the movie theatre will reduce the seat count because they take up more space than a traditional or stadium style seating.
One could argue that the enhanced food and beverages available in premier theaters actually harm local bars and restaurants. Why go out to drink or eat before or after a movie when you can get it all served to you in the theatre while you watch your show?
Oh and thanks for the hobo comment. Once again you can’t stop from denigrating your readers who have valid comments.
Dyer @ 2:53 AM: "I guess they share Hillary's concern about 'superpredators'."
OK, how did you manage to jump from a moribund movie theater in Towson, to Hillary Clinton?
5:39: Very easy, because you brought up a Hillary-esque policy from Towson.
11:08: I wasn't a fan of garage parking at Regal, but it did not seem to impact ticket sales. I did not make a "hobo comment," so I'm not sure what you're referring to.
My bad...”one hermit likes to watch Netflix at home”.
I'm pretty sure that Netflix's astonishing growth over the past two decades has been driven by more than just "one hermit in Bethesda."
For a family of four attending a movie at a multiplex, the tab for four tickets plus popcorn, sodas and candy would run over $100, not leaving them much to spend at local restaurants afterwards.
Maybe that's why the food court at Montgomery Mall has been struggling since ArcLight opened.
Speaking of movies ticket prices, I read that Movie Pass is accepted at AMC and Landmark theaters including the Bethesda Row Cinema. They sell an All Access membership for up to three movies per month for $17.95 per person per month, so if you watched 3 a month, the ticket price would be only $5.98 per movie.
Not sure if the new owners of Landmark will continue to accept Movie Pass in the future. Of course whether Movie Pass will survive is still a big question.
11:27am Bethesda is one of the most affluent areas of the country
@ 3:47 PM - It's moribund and the rich are fleeing it for the greener pastures of Tennessee and Fredericksburg.
20,000 people a weekend. I call BS on that. Maybe 2,000 if lucky.
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