by This week’s action by the King County Council that moves Burien’s planned park-and-ride transit center parking garage closer to reality also improves the possibility that the city may get a 10-screen cinema complex in Town Square.
The proposed multiplex, which would be located on the southwest corner of SW 150th St. and 4th Ave. SW, where the old city hall is located, would require the evening and weekend parking available at the 500-stall garage to be a viable attraction in Burien’s Town Square.
The transit center garage will be built on the northeast corner of SW 150th St. and 4th Ave. SW, across the intersection from the potential theater site. Additional theater parking would be available in the city’s municipal parking lot on SW 150th St. between 6th and 8th Ave. SW.
Los Angeles-based Galaxy Theater Group, whose 100-plus properties include a cinema and food court in Gig Harbor, would build and operate the cinema complex through an arrangement with Urban Partners, the private developer of Town Square.
Urban Partners proposed to the Burien City Council last fall that a multiplex theater, instead of a planned second condominium/retail complex, be built on the vacant Town Square parcel where the Burien/Interim Art Space was located.
A multiplex run by Galaxy Theaters may be built where the old city hall building sits.
The depressed housing and lending markets made it unlikely that a new condominium project could get started within the time frame required by their agreement with the city, principals of Urban Partners told council members.
Following this initial presentation to the City Council, Urban Partners, at the request of Galaxy Theater Group, recommended that the cinema complex be proposed instead for the Town Square parcel currently occupied by the old city hall to be closer to the transit parking garage.
And Galaxy has submitted to the city a preliminary building design configured to the shape of this parcel. It includes 10 screens, a food court – and a separate stage that community groups like Burien Little Theater could use for live productions.
Several council members expressed a strong interest in a stage for live public performances when Galaxy made its initial presentation to the city.
The proposed cinema complex, however, is far from a done deal. There is some concern among council members about building it instead of multi-family housing, as the original Town Square agreement called for, and about the long-term potential for success of such a theater in Burien.
Galaxy Theater Group says a cinema complex in Burien would be supported by a market area west of Interstate 5 from south Seattle to Federal Way with a population of 400,000.
City staff will have to review the proposed design and the City Council then must consider the Urban Partners-Galaxy Theater Group plan – which could include retail and office space – and approve it as an acceptable development alternative for Town Square before a cinema complex can become a reality there.
Should the City Council give a green light to the proposed cinema complex in the next few months, it could be built while the transit center parking garage is also under construction, with both opening at about the same time.
Meanwhile, one thing does seem certain, according to Dick Loman, Burien’s Economic Development Manager:
“We’re damn fortunate here to have this interest in continued development of downtown Burien as a major urban center. It’s exciting.”
by A 10-screen cinema complex at Burien Town Square would be more than just a cluster of movie auditoriums, Burien City Council members were told Monday night (Nov. 2).
It would become a “social icon” for the community,” predicted Frank Rimkus, president and CEO of Los Angeles-based Galaxy Theatres, who hopes his firm can team with Urban Partners, the private developer of the Town Square project, to bring a multi-screen cinema complex to Burien.
And it could draw an estimated 400,000 movie-goers to downtown Burien annually, Rimkus said. “That would do a lot for retail and restaurants.”
He based this on a general demographic overview, which includes an area-wide population of 130,000 who would be served by the cinema complex – and who would rather stay near home than drive to the movies in neighboring cities.
As a social icon, a cinema complex would relive the prominence held by movie theatres in cities until the mid-20th century,” Rimkus continued. It would include multiple-sized auditoriums comfortable seating, quality food service, on-site parking – and state-of-the-art electronics and digital projection and sound systems.
Councilmembers generally seemed receptive – with some reservations – to the concept during an initial presentation of a plan to build a cinema complex with some retail space during the next phase of Town Square development.
“This community from day one (as a city) wanted an entertainment center,” said retiring City Councilwoman Sally Nelson, who has served on the council since incorporation in 1993. “We have an entertainment gap in the city, in the area.”
Urban Partners current agreement with the city calls for construction of a second condominium-retail complex north of the existing building, which opened in June. But since then, sales of only five condos have closed and no retail space has been leased.
“This has been quite a year,” Paul Keller, managing principal of Urban Partners, told the council before introducing Rimkus. “We obviously have been greatly impacted by the economy and downturns in capital markets.”
Later, Keller added, “Urban Partners is very, very excited about this opportunity … Don’t give up on downtown redevelopment,” he implored the lawmakers. “Don’t give up on Burien real estate. Don’t give up on Urban Partners.”
Mayor Joan McGilton replied, “We don’t give up. We don’t see a lot of the (economic) downturn in Burien with the new businesses that are coming in.”
Keller said development, if approved by the council, would take an estimated 24 to 30 months to complete.
“We believe this is a legitimate opportunity to put a first-class theater here and make it an economic success,” Rimkus said.
Galaxy Theatres is rated in the top 10 percent in the industry by the National Theatre Association. The company, which has 177 screens in the western United States, already has a presence in the Puget Sound region with cinema complexes in Federal Way, Tacoma, Lacey and Gig Harbor. Its website is galaxytheatres.com.
A Galaxy Theatres development at Town Square would be similar to the cinema complex in the Uptown project in Gig Harbor, he said.
Councilwoman Kathy Keene said, “This is an amazing project. I know that residents are looking for something like this.” She said it “would be a great addition to the city.”
Could one of the auditoriums be available for use by Burien Little Theatre, local dance studios and other performing arts groups that need a space with fewer than 300 seats? asked Councilwoman Rose Clark.
Keller said Urban Partners was already aware of this interest by the council and is exploring its feasibility.
Councilman Gordon Shaw said he is “skeptical” because Urban Partners needs “to consider the impact on a change of plans (for Town Square) as well as the impact of moving ahead … there needs to be balance.”
UPDATE 10/21/09: We have added one new business (Bratz, a German cafe) and one re-opening (Skippers) to this story, which we hope will continue to develop…
It may not be a boom. But even as the recession continues to buffet Highline communities, businesses are discovering – and returning to – Burien.
“We have a trickle of new businesses coming in here,” Burien Economic Development Manager Dick Loman told The B-Town Blog recently. “We’re gradually filling up our vacant (commercial) spaces, and it’s happening in the worst economic climate in decades.
“You’d think it would be very quiet, but it’s not,” he said. “It’s very amazing and we’re very fortunate to have this happening.”
NEW BUSINESSES:
- Grand Central Bakery, with popular stores in Pioneer Square and on Eastlake Avenue in Seattle, has announced plans to expand its business by moving into the vacant retail space at 626 SW 152nd St., next to Sylvan Learning Center.
Bratz, a German food store, should open on 6th SW before the end of November.
- And Redfish Grill, already doing a successful business in Tacoma, is going to open a second dining spot in the building recently occupied by The Keg on SW 148th St. at the entrance to the Safeway shopping center.
- Bratz, a German-style fast food cafe, has its signage in place in a spot on 6th SW, just across the street from Sal’s Deli. We spoke with co-owner Robert Lang, who says that the store should open in “two to four weeks” and foodwise to expect “German beer, the world’s best sausages, schnitzels, red cabbage, pretzels, potato salad and more.” Robert and his brother John are both from Germany, and they have one other location in Seattle’s U-District.
BUSINESS RE-OPENINGS:
- Remaining in Burien, after closing its doors when displaced by the third-runway flight path north of Sea-Tac International Airport, is Filiberto’s Cucina Italiana. This popular Italian restaurant, long a local favorite, is moving downtown and will reopen at 653 SW. 152nd St (next to Key Bank).
- Already back in business with new owners is Wizards Casino at 15739 Ambaum Blvd. SW, next to the Hi-Line Lanes bowling alley. The return of Wizards was especially good news for the city – it’s one of Burien’s 10 largest employers.
- Skipper’s Seafood & Chowder, located at the corner of Ambaum Blvd. and SW 148th, has also re-opened.
- In the meantime, Car Pros of Tacoma continues to indicate it will reopen Burien Nissan at Five Corners as soon as their business plan is finalized and approved.
Why this interest? “It starts with the availability of property … on a reasonable-cost basis,” according to Loman, together with marketing studies that indicate these businesses will do well.
Burien has “a reputation of being friendly and a cool place to be … these are destination-type businesses that draw from a much larger area than just Burien. It’s location, location, location.”
As these businesses locate or relocate in Burien, another is expressing interest in coming here – and being the anchor of the phase two development in Town Square.
The Galaxy Theatre in Gig Harbor.
- Loman identified the company that wants to develop a 10-screen cinema complex in Town Square as Galaxy Theaters, headquartered in Los Angeles.
- Galaxy Theatres runs 10 different “first-run” movie complexes in four states, including three in Washington – Monroe, Tacoma and Gig Harbor.
- Here’s a blurb from their website:
Galaxy Theatres, LLC is a fully integrated movie theatre company.
Privately owned, it is ranked by size in the top 10% of its industry, according to the National Theatre Association and currently has theatres in California, Nevada, Texas and Washington.
Formed in 1998, its focus is to develop and operate a portfolio of high impact, state-of-the-art movie entertainment theatres in selected markets of the western United States.
Galaxy Theatres’ award winning business philosophy of “More than just a Theatre” incorporates the best in movie entertainment with the Company’s philosophy of active community service.
“Being socially entrepreneurial builds strong bonds and goodwill in the communities we serve”, according to Frank Rimkus, the Company’s CEO.
- Representatives of both Galaxy and Urban Partners, the private developer of Town Square, will appear before the Burien City Council at the Nov. 2 meeting to discuss their proposal.
by Burien could get a cinema complex at Town Square after all.
And, city Economic Development Director Dick Loman said Friday (Oct. 2nd), if a new proposal becomes reality, it will fill an entertainment gap in downtown Burien.
When the planning of Town Square was underway several years ago, both city officials and Urban Partners, the project’s private developer, anticipated that a multi-screen cinema would be part of it.
In the end, however, no deal with a movie-theater chain was reached and development of Town Square proceeded without one.
Now the city has received a “very preliminary” proposal for a 10-screen cinema complex that would be built as part of the next phase of Town Square, according to Loman.
City Manager Mike Martin added, “This is a serious proposal and we’re treating it that way. We view this as a potentially important development.”
Loman noted that Urban Partners’ current agreement with the city specifies that Phase II of the private development, which is planned for this site, is to be similar to the Phase I condominium-and-retail complex at the corner of SW 152nd and 6th Ave. SW that opened in June.
This means that a neighboring multi-storied complex, also with condos built above street-level retail space, would be immediately north of the Phase I development – which remains largely unoccupied.
Yet, Loman said, the housing market, including sales of condos, remains sluggish and shows no sign of rebounding soon. And Urban Partners is obligated by its agreement with the city to begin development of Phase II no later than two years after the certification (in July) of Phase I.
With the emergence of the proposal for a cinema complex as part of Phase II – should Burien lawmakers eventually agree to changing their agreement and give it a green light – both Urban Partners and the city could realize a positive solution to the current economic-development dilemma.
Loman said the movie-theater chain, which has not been identified at this point, wants to build a 10-screen cinema as the major development as part of Town Square’s Phase II. It would also include retail space, but no housing.
“We are studying this proposal very carefully, and we have asked Urban Partners and [the theater chain] for additional information,” he added. “We’re very pleased this opportunity is coming our way.”
Martin said, “This deal is in its infancy with more details to follow. There is a lot of work to be done. Obviously the council has made no decision yet.”
No determination has been made for what the third and final phase of Town Square development – at the corner of SW 152nd St. and 4th Ave. SW where the old city hall building is located – will include.
If built, the cinema complex would be located south of SW 150th Street, between 5th Place SW and 6th Ave. SW, in the vacant parcel currently occupied by the Burien Interim Art Space, which is slated to be cleared by Dec. 31st of this year.
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Far as we know, it’s the only wacky bowling party based on a Coen Brothers movie – the annual Lebowski Fest returns to the area on Monday July 20th & Tuesday July 21st!
The Fest kicks off with the Movie Party at Seattle’s Fremont Outdoor Cinema with a performance by Har Mar Superstar, Jeff Dowd and white russian flavored popcorn on Monday, July 20th.
Here are the details:
WHAT: The annual Lebowski Fest
WHEN: Monday, July 20th and Tuesday, July 21st:
MONDAY, JULY 20th: Lebowski Fest Seattle Movie Party – Featuring Har Mar Superstar and Jeff “The Dude” Dowd. Followed by a screening of the movie. All Ages. Doors at 6pm, show at 7:30. @ Fremont Outdoor Cinema – 3501 Phinney Ave. North, 98103. $20
TUESDAY, JULY 21st: Lebowski Fest Seattle Bowling Party – Bowling, costume, trivia and other contests. Appearance by Jeff “The Dude” Dowd. Ticket includes bowling* and shoe rental. Ages 21 and up. 7pm @ ACME Bowl – 100 Andover Park W, 98188. $25 Advance / $30 Day of
WHERE: Mon. 7/20 at Fremont Outdoor Cinema and Tues. 7/21 at ACME Bowl in Tukwila (located at 100 Andover Park West).
TICKETS: Tickets are on sale here, and the last Lebowski Fest sold out in advance so considered yourself warned, dude.
INFO: “Come down Tuesday July 21st and check out the one and only Lebowski Fest at ACME Bowling, Billiards, and Events. Please note that ACME Bowl will be closed to the public during this event. Sorry for any inconvenience.”
Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for The Dude, will appear in Seattle! Ever heard of the Seattle Seven? That was Jeff Dowd (and six other guys). The Dude will help the roadies on the Speed of Sound tour kick off the West Coast leg.
*Bowling is general admission and not guaranteed. Bowling shoes not required with any non-dark soled shoe.
To whet your appetite for this unusual fest, here’s a trailer for the Coen Brothers movie (to see more clips, click here, but be warned that several use what one might call “adult language”):
Burien-area filmmaker Steve Edmiston (Writer/Director of “The Day My Parents Became Cool“) has doubled up with two films premiering at the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival, including his latest work “The Spy and the Sparrow,” which will premiere at 9pm tonight (Wed. June 10th).
Edmiston’s short comedy (and his directorial bow), “The Day My Parents Became Cool,” made its Northwest premiere at SIFF on Sunday, May 31st, at the SIFF Cinema (Nesholm Family Lecture Hall. Then, SIFF hosts the world premiere of “The Spy and the Sparrow,” a feature length spy thriller with an A-list Hollywood cast that Edmiston wrote and co-produced, tonight (Wed. 6/10) at 9pm (SIFF Cinema), as well as on Saturday, June 13th at 11am at the Egyptian (801 East Pine Street, Seattle).
“The Day My Parents Became Cool” is a 17-minute comedy about a group of teenagers who wake up one morning to find that adults have co-opted teen fashion, complete with tattoos, body piercings and sagging jeans. The film was named “Best Short Comedy” at the recent International Family Film Festival in Los Angeles, world premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival, just screened at the Big Island Film Festival, and was selected to open the Prescott Film Festival. The film has a unique local pedigree – it features nearly 150 public high school students (both in front and behind the camera) from seven high schools in Highline and Federal Way school districts (see our previous, extensive coverage here).
“We wanted to bring an arts experience to students who are suffering the loss of their access to art at school. What we never anticipated is the degree to which the community would jump on board the project – we had two cities, arts commissions, county officials, private businesses and individuals – all saying ‘yes’ to nearly whatever we needed to bring this project to the kids,” said Edmiston. “Sharing the film at SIFF is a very big deal – most of the kids haven’t seen it yet and have no idea how wonderful they are in the film.”
The Spy and the Sparrow is directed by award-winning and Seattle-based Garrett Bennett. Edmiston scripted the character-driven thriller about the deep devotion and repressed love that reunites a retired CIA deep cover operative and his estranged daughter following two decades of separation. The film features perhaps the finest cast ever assembled for an independent film produced entirely in Seattle, including Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, Heroes), David Rasche (Burn After Reading, Flags of Our Fathers), Elisabeth Rohm (Law & Order, The Mentalist), and Chad Lindberg (CSI: NY, The Rookie, The Fast and the Furious).
The film is described as a “sly and surprising,” and is part of “unprecedented lineup of work by local filmmakers,” says SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence. “These films are an important testament to the burgeoning Seattle filmmaking community and give Northwest audiences another way to find the unexpected in extraordinary films that enrich us all.”
Now in its 35th year, the Seattle International Film Festival is the largest and most highly-attended film festival in the United States, showcasing more than 400 films from over 60 countries to an audience of 150,000 attendees annually. Listed by Variety as one of the world’s “50 unmissable film festivals,” SIFF continues to be recognized as one of the top festivals in North America.
Here’s a scene from “The Spy and the Sparrow“:
by Matt Marble
Everybody knows that the “Fast And Furious” franchise has been the main car movie since it came on the scene in 2001.
After the original was released, law enforcement agencies all over the country, maybe even the world, took notice of the illegal activity that was taking place in almost every metropolis.
Eight years later, the films are still going strong with the release of the next installment: “Fast & Furious.”
Bringing the original cast back together was a nice touch. The way Justin Lin, director of Tokyo Drift and Fast And Furious described it was “with this film, I wanted to bring back the roots of the films, but also incorporate more muscle cars, as well as keeping true to the imports.”
If you watch the film, you can definitely see what he meant with the return of Vin Diesel’s iconic 1970 Dodge Charger and a 1972 Ford Torino.
The plot picks up as a prequel to “Tokyo Drift” and follows Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) as they infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel. In my mind, you can try as much as you want, but you can never do better than the original…but this film comes very close.
Fast & Furious is rated PG-13 and is still playing in area theaters.
Here are some Fast & Furious video clips chock full of fast cars, hunks, babes and explosions to whet your appetite:
[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.
If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.
Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]
Previously we broke news about a local filmmaker shooting a movie at Highline High School, and now we’ve just learned of another area auteur – a local Director/Producer named Frank Oliver who is seeking donations and locations from area residents and businesses for his upcoming film production “The War of the Grandmas.”
The film’s plot:
“War of the Grandmas” is a family-fun-packed, independent comedy – half live action and half cartoon animation.
This is a screwball comedy in the vein of “Grumpy Old Men,” but with women.
PATTY, a sixty-something frugal tomboy, reigns as queen of her cul-de-sac until an arch enemy from her past – flirty, glamorous ROSE, also in her sixties – invades Patty’s territory and the queen declares war. The grannies fight the only way they know how – over a man. But when the old gals try to bring their twenty-something granddaughters into the fray, the young gals decide it’s time to teach the old gals a lesson: A woman does not need a man to make her happy! (Or does she?)
Oliver, 33, of Boulevard Park, is seeking local sponsors, including residents and businesses, to help defray some of the film’s $15,000 budget. His intent is to film and edit a six-minute scene, then promote that at film markets in the next year or so in hopes of turning it into a full-length feature film.
“I’m trying to get the community involved, as this is a great opportunity for locals to help create a fun and entertaining project,” Oliver said as he took a break from his regular day job as a Construction Inspector. “I’ve received a grant from the Northwest Film Forum, but we’re still in need of funds to pay actors and crew.”
We spoke with Oliver on the phone recently, and found him to be a very passionate and ambitious man. We know personally that making a feature-length movie is a huge undertaking, and we admire his goals and passion.
From Texas originally, Oliver has been in the Northwest for six years.
“I moved up here for a variety of reasons, one of which is that I was inspired by the WTO riots,” he said. “I love activism, and am also a huge fan of the artistic and independent spirit of the region, which I love.”
Oliver is currently seeking:
- Access to locations in exchange for product placement in the film; specifically three houses situated next to each other, perhaps in a cul-de-sac, to serve as the movie’s major location
- Donate money (any amount, even minor)
- Visit the website, download the flyers, and post at their workplace/social activities
- Everyone is welcomed to audition for the cast or participate as crew
Here’s his self bio:
Frank is creative, resourceful, and entrepreneurial. He helped manage the family business while still attending high school and learned about taking calculated risks and surrounding himself with talented people to help achieve a goal. He founded a non-profit dance organization in Texas and taught swing and lindy hop to inner city youth. Frank is socially conscientious and passionate about social and economic justice. When he relocated to WA, he joined the union construction trades and actively helped organize and educate others about the struggles and gains of the labor movement. Frank enjoys cinema and aspires to be much like Ken Loach, the filmmaker, and serve the people through his art. Frank hopes to achieve credibility as a director by successfully completing the “The War of the Grandmas” production and attracting well-versed writers to collaborate with him on docudramas and films of social commentary.
We encourage all our BTB Readers, and anyone who enjoys supporting the arts, to visit the “War of the Grandmas” website, and consider volunteering their location(s) and/or time, as well as making a donation to the film.
Rest assured, the B-Town Blog will keep you posted on the progress of this creative endeavor as things develop.
