Campus theater to open

The University is completing negotiations with Cinemagic Incorporated to lease out the Walnut Street movie theater space vacated when the AMC Walnut Mall 3 closed last November, Associate Treasurer Chris Mason said yesterday. "We're ironing out most of the details and the lease is with our internal counsel," Mason said. "We're hoping it will be final within the next couple of weeks." He added that he expects to open the theater, called Cinemagic At Penn Incorporated, in March. Mason said he favored Cinemagic, which is based in Philadelphia, because it also has a location in Hamilton, New York, where it caters to students from Colgate University. Cinemagic Owner Andrew Sheppard said he hopes to specifically cater to the University's student body. "[The AMC Theater] didn't look at its audience," Sheppard said. "I've researched it and it seems the last priority was films that students would come out and see." He added that he plans to continue AMC's policy of giving special student discounts -- although he could not specify what the movie ticket prices will be. Sheppard said he will keep students' interests in mind when selecting films. "We're going to be concentrating on the students and gearing the movies to them," he said. "We're going to do our best to make sure that students don't want to go anywhere else to see a movie." Mason said Sheppard's experience with the Colgate theater equips him with an understanding of the University's needs. "It is kind of based in a college community," Mason said of the Colgate theater. "He gave us types of films he intends to screen and it's a good mix that we hope the college community here will like." According to Sheppard, "unlike other theater chains," the Cinemagic theater will have a full-time security guard. Mason said necessary renovations to both the interior and exterior of the movie theater, which is located between 39th and 40th Streets, will begin soon. Renovations will include making the theater more visible from the street, improving the signs and cleaning up the courtyard area in front of the theater, he added. Mason said the AMC theater's lease contained provisions which did not allow for these renovations. Renovations to the interior of the theater will include new seats, carpeting, sound system and design, Sheppard said. "The entire look of the place and feel of the place is going to be completely changed," he added. "There's going to be a lot more energy the minute [students] walk in." Mason said the University and Cinemagic will share renovation expenses -- which are expected to total approximately $100,000. He added that he is also negotiating the possibility of opening the parking lot at 40th and Walnut Streets after hours. The University-owned lot has catered to University employees in the past. "It would help patrons of the theater and of the restaurants on the block of 40th Street," Mason said. "We hope to encourage people to park there." Last fall, the University negotiated with the Ritz Theater as a possible replacement for the AMC. But those negotiations fell through and Cinemagic became the company of choice. The Eric 3 Campus Theater on 40th Street also closed last August when its contract expired. Representatives from the Performing Arts Council and the Undergraduate Assembly have worked on a proposal to turn that area into performing arts space. College junior Eric Tienou said student involvement played an "instrumental" role in the decision. "They're a local, small-sized company and they're going to make money without wanting to move," he said. "The companies that moved were larger national companies." Cinemagic has one other location besides its Colgate theater -- a five-screen complex in Delaware.

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