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-   -   New 10-screen cinema planned in Orléans (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159744)

Mille Sabords Oct 23, 2008 6:26 PM

New 10-screen cinema planned in Orléans
 
The age of digital is starting to arrive. The only lament, of course, is that the location is a power-centre strip of asphalt and parking, and that they will close the 6-screener at Orleans Town Centre... just when we were starting to see buds of culture critical mass grouping there with the Shenkman Centre set to open next year...
===============================================

10-theatre complex planned in Orléans
Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen, Sunday, October 19, 2008


OTTAWA - If city council approves, Orléans will get a new movie theatre, a state-of-the art 10-screen complex, next year.

The 41,000-square-foot complex, at Innes Road and Belcourt Boulevard, will feature movie theatres that will average approximately 210 high-back seats in stadium-style seating. It'll have digital projection and wall-to-wall curved screens. It will also include a family-oriented, interactive games zone and party rooms.

It will be developed by Empire Theatres on lands owned by Trinity Development Group.
The complex still needs the municipal OK, but construction is expected to start next spring with a possible opening date in the fall, said Dean Leland, vice-president of Media and Studio Relations for Empire Theatres, which has its headquarters in Stellarton, N.S.

"The location is in a hot retail corridor," said Mr. Leland, adding that the theatre will serve the growing population of Orléans, near Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard. The complex will employ about 60 people.

The Orléans theatres will add to Empire's 13 complexes throughout Ontario, including those in the World Exchange, the Rideau Centre and Orléans Town Centre on Centrum Boulevard.

"The location we have out there now at the Orléans Town Centre is an older, six-screen location without stadium seating and without the amenities that moviegoers really like now," said Mr. Leland.

"The intent long-term is that this new complex would replace the theatres at the Orléans Town Centre.
"We have a lease that we are operating under there now and we'll begin an assessment process on whether we'll ride out the lease or do something different."

Mr. Leland declined to disclose the value of the new theatre complex.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

Acajack Oct 23, 2008 8:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords (Post 3871711)
The age of digital is starting to arrive. The only lament, of course, is that the location is a power-centre strip of asphalt and parking, and that they will close the 6-screener at Orleans Town Centre... just when we were starting to see buds of culture critical mass grouping there with the Shenkman Centre set to open next year...
===============================================

As a former (long-time) resident of Orleans, I am really dismayed at how the development of this community is taking place. Orleans already has a main centre of activity along St-Joseph that has been established for close to 150 years, but it looks like they are hell-bent on killing it off. Letting all of the new development suddenly move south along Innes Rd. is totally non-sensical, especially when you consider how it is located completely at one end of the community, in the far south-east corner with relatively few residents in the immediate surroundings. (Perhaps that in 20 years or so, if suburban sprawl continues unabated, Innes and Tenth Line will actually be in the CENTRE of Orleans...)

Does it make sense for someone who lives in the western or northern part of Orleans to have to drive 15 minutes (or more) across the entire community to get to Home Depot or Canadian Tire? For all of its many faults, suburban development is supposed to be, at the very least, convenient. The current pattern of development in Orleans is the worst of all possible worlds.

c_speed3108 Oct 24, 2008 12:46 PM

I like the idea of a new cool theatre in the east end, but seriously did they have to pick big-box row????

Innes road is fine for things like Home Depot but it is not exactly the happening spot for night life.

I wish they would have expanded the old 6-plex into the old Farm Boy store (still vacant) by adding a walk-over or something and renovate the old one somehow to have all the new cool digital stuff and stadium seating and whatever.

They are also adding parking to the town centre so that would help too.

Sigh...

jitterbug Oct 24, 2008 8:01 PM

Another nail in the coffin for the Orleans "town centre" and yet another stupid idea. Thank goodness we chose NOT to live in Orleans. This is unbelievable!

Richard Eade Oct 26, 2008 1:22 PM

I guess they are just planning to be closer to the centre of what Orleans will become. There is a lot more growth potential to the south.

http://REade.fileave.com/Infill/Orleans-New-Cinema.jpg

Mille Sabords Oct 27, 2008 1:11 AM

Yeah, closer to the geographic centre... but still a big box lost in a sea of parking. At least the Town Centre cinemas were on something that resembled an actual street.

Acajack Oct 27, 2008 2:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Eade (Post 3876185)
I guess they are just planning to be closer to the centre of what Orleans will become. There is a lot more growth potential to the south.

I get your point, but there are still a few problems with this logic (not saying it's yours necessarily).

For starters, isn't suburban sprawl supposed to slow down? I think the desire for space, suburban-style isn't going to go away but the price of gas (don't let the current drop fool you - the trend is still going upwards), an aging population, progressive municipal politics, ecological issues, etc. all point to less of it than what we have seen in our lifetimes. I don't think it will stop but certainly it won't always be as explosive as it was in the past.

Consider that about 75% of the currently built-up area on this map was put in place in the last 20 years. Does anyone believe that this expansion will repeat itself in the next 20 years? Because that is what it will take (or perhaps more) to place these new cinemas in the true geographic centre of Orleans. I believe that most commercial facilities of this type aren't based on a 20-year horizon anyway. The cinemas on Centrum they are replacing are barely 20 years old. These are relatively short-term, cash-grab investments.

Also, the St-Joseph strip is actually pretty central as well. Plus it has the advantage of being accessible via roads that are mostly in fairly straight lines, in addition to being accessible from the 174, that people living near Jeanne-d'Arc take to get to Place d'Orleans. Whereas aside from Tenth Line, the Innes Road area is accessible from most areas of Orleans via unnecessarily super curved roads like Orleans Blvd. and Jeanne d'Arc, and even some small residential streets like Prestwick, etc.

Not to mention that the Place d'Orleans sector is also right on Ottawa's rapid transit system (whatever form it might take). Yes, I know Innes isn't too far from the southern transit line - whenever that gets built.

All in all - brutal urban planning.

waterloowarrior Dec 1, 2009 8:24 PM

opening Dec. 18th
http://www.eastottawa.ca/article-407...en-Dec-18.html

DEVPLAN Dec 2, 2009 2:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jitterbug (Post 3873850)
Another nail in the coffin for the Orleans "town centre" and yet another stupid idea. Thank goodness we chose NOT to live in Orleans. This is unbelievable!

In everyone's opinion, who is to blame for the location of the Cinema?

The City for permitting the subject land use in the zoning amendment that was applied for by the land owner? or;

The Developer for doing a deal with a tenant that will attract many people to their site and thus increase the marketability of their project and its revenue? We all know that a developer's main goal is to create a project within the land use polices established by the minicipality and which yields a profitable return to it's investors.

Thoughts?

aesthetic Dec 2, 2009 7:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c_speed3108 (Post 3873074)
I like the idea of a new cool theatre in the east end, but seriously did they have to pick big-box row????

Innes road is fine for things like Home Depot but it is not exactly the happening spot for night life.

Honestly, isn't that the case for most suburban movie theatres? The Kanata and Barrhaven theatres are in typical "big box" store centres. Even Silver City isn't exactly the most "happening" place unless you think Zellers and Moxies makes for a wild night. Heh.

citizen j Dec 3, 2009 4:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 3872035)
As a former (long-time) resident of Orleans, I am really dismayed at how the development of this community is taking place. Orleans already has a main centre of activity along St-Joseph that has been established for close to 150 years, but it looks like they are hell-bent on killing it off. Letting all of the new development suddenly move south along Innes Rd. is totally non-sensical, especially when you consider how it is located completely at one end of the community, in the far south-east corner with relatively few residents in the immediate surroundings. (Perhaps that in 20 years or so, if suburban sprawl continues unabated, Innes and Tenth Line will actually be in the CENTRE of Orleans...)

Does it make sense for someone who lives in the western or northern part of Orleans to have to drive 15 minutes (or more) across the entire community to get to Home Depot or Canadian Tire? For all of its many faults, suburban development is supposed to be, at the very least, convenient. The current pattern of development in Orleans is the worst of all possible worlds.

I grew up in Orleans and always wished St. Joseph would somehow spontaneously improve and jettison the whole stripmall aethetic. Unfortunately, no such luck. The ugly caterpillar's still just a caterpillar. Like many of you, I'm disturbed by what's happening on Innes, but wonder if it might end up playing in favour of a positive (i.e., less heinously suburban) redevelopment along St. Joseph. As commercial activity shifts decisively south, I wonder if one of the effects might not be that long-time commercial landowners along the old main street become more willing to sell unprofitable properties to developers or to redevelop/intensify their own properties.

Mille Sabords Dec 17, 2009 7:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior (Post 4586134)

It's amazing that there's been absolutely no advertising in the Citizen about this theatre. I've been looking every day. Nothing. Has it been delayed?

waterloowarrior Dec 18, 2009 9:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords (Post 4612092)
It's amazing that there's been absolutely no advertising in the Citizen about this theatre. I've been looking every day. Nothing. Has it been delayed?

Maybe there will be something in the paper today, as apparently Thursday night was the last night at Centrum blvd
http://www.orleansstar.ca/article-41...-tomorrow.html

orleans_man Dec 18, 2009 7:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords (Post 4612092)
It's amazing that there's been absolutely no advertising in the Citizen about this theatre. I've been looking every day. Nothing. Has it been delayed?

The new theatre opens to the public today (December 18th).

I did see some advertising in the "Metro" and in one of the local papers - but generally there wasn't much.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2009-...opens-Friday/1

eternallyme Dec 18, 2009 7:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by citizen j (Post 4588827)
I grew up in Orleans and always wished St. Joseph would somehow spontaneously improve and jettison the whole stripmall aethetic. Unfortunately, no such luck. The ugly caterpillar's still just a caterpillar. Like many of you, I'm disturbed by what's happening on Innes, but wonder if it might end up playing in favour of a positive (i.e., less heinously suburban) redevelopment along St. Joseph. As commercial activity shifts decisively south, I wonder if one of the effects might not be that long-time commercial landowners along the old main street become more willing to sell unprofitable properties to developers or to redevelop/intensify their own properties.

That actually seems quite possible, knowing that they would have to re-invent themselves to compete with the big boxes on Innes Road. They could even take advantage of pedestrian traffic that could potentially be drawn to Place d'Orleans as well. The development on Innes Road could open up a huge opportunity there. Besides, Innes Road (reverse/limited frontage suburban arterial) is a more natural place for large-scale big box development.

The businesses on St. Joseph between Jeanne d'Arc and Tenth Line should form an Orleans Centre Business Improvement Area. That corridor is 3.7 km in length, so it could easily become home to hundreds of retailers (and offices? institutions?). Who knows, maybe the owners of Place d'Orleans could get involved as well? They do have some redevelopment opportunities along their southern edge, although I don't know how much land they own directly fronting St. Joseph.

waterloowarrior Dec 19, 2009 8:13 PM

in movie listings in today's paper they were still showing the Orleans Town Centre theatre... so there may still be some confusion for the next while

Kitchissippi Dec 19, 2009 8:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eternallyme (Post 4613666)
The businesses on St. Joseph between Jeanne d'Arc and Tenth Line should form an Orleans Centre Business Improvement Area. That corridor is 3.7 km in length, so it could easily become home to hundreds of retailers (and offices? institutions?). Who knows, maybe the owners of Place d'Orleans could get involved as well? They do have some redevelopment opportunities along their southern edge, although I don't know how much land they own directly fronting St. Joseph.

They already have one: Heart of Orleans BIA

reidjr Dec 26, 2009 8:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jitterbug (Post 3873850)
Another nail in the coffin for the Orleans "town centre" and yet another stupid idea. Thank goodness we chose NOT to live in Orleans. This is unbelievable!

What would you have wanted.


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