UPDATE: Century Cinema Being Overhauled, Adding Dining Options
The movie theater on Clark is slated for a makeover where moviegoers can eat dinner and sip a cocktail while watching a film.
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Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema is getting ready to let moviegoers sit back, relax and enjoy the show—with a full meal, cocktails and more.
The seven-screen movie theater at 2828 N. Clark St. on the upper floors of the Century Shopping Centre will undergo renovations in the near future, a move that could revive the struggling mall.
"The independent films will still be housed at Century Cinema and they have applied for a liquor license," the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce told Patch in a statement. "The plans will be included with the Clark Street Task Force as part of the strategy to help attract new business to Century Cinema and the Clark Street corridor. The plans should be made public shortly regarding the details of the addition of dining and the build out as they go through the community process for development."
Some of its only tenants in the almost 170,000-square-foot shopping center include the theater, Aveda Institute, CVS Pharmacy, Victoria’s Secret and LA Fitness on the top floors. The building was sold for $18.5 million in 2011 to Bon Aviv Investments, a venture with two Isreal-based backers, RE Journals reports.
And although local officials are aware of the major renovation planned for Century Cinema, the parent company, Landmark Theatres, is still intent on keeping everyone in the dark.
Ald. Tom Tunney’s (44th) office and South East Lake View Neighbors all say they’ve been kept in the dark about the project’s details.
“I do not have very much information other than Century Cinema will be undergoing a renovation,” said SELVN President Jan Sumrall. “My understanding is that the intent is to provide a combined ‘dining and movie experience’ which would include the sale of food and liquor.”
Representatives with the cinema, which primarily screens independent films, are planning a presentation at SELVN’s April meeting. Multiple calls and emails to Landmark regarding to project were left unanswered after initially receiving word that a statement would be issued to Patch.
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And this isn’t the first major renovation planned for the theater with a history dating back to 1924. According to Cinema Treasures, the theater initially opened as Diversey Theater before renaming itself the Century, in honor of the Century of Progress World’s Fair in 1933.
In 1973, the cinema was closed and gutted for a remodeling project, and then rebuilt as a shopping mall as it’s know today, Cinema Treasures writes. In 2000, the top floors of the mall were handed over to Landmark Theatres to create the theater it is today.
Patch will follow the story as updates on the renovation become available.
In This article
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44th Ward Service Office
1057 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL -
Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce
3138 N Broadway St Apt 3, Chicago, IL -
Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce
8:54 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce has been in communications with Bon Aviv and have been informed of their plans for development. The independent films will still be housed at Century Cinema and they have applied for a liquor license. The plans will be included with the Clark Street Task Force as part of the strategy to help attract new business to Century Cinema and the Clark Street corridor. The plans should be made public shortly regarding the details of the addition of dining and the build out as they go through the community process for development.
Andy Ambrosius
11:06 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Thank you! I'll add this to the story.
Garry Albrecht
10:58 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Sounds like a 'throw-back' to the early 20th century when dining and entertainment was as one experience.
Mari
11:27 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Ya, "throw back" may become "throw up" . . in theory I like the idea however I can also foresee the potential for additional problems. Louder viewers, munching of foods in my ears etc etc . . .Can we really not have liquor for 3 hours to watch a movie?? I will probably give a shot once . .if what i anticipate comes to fruition . .I will just go somewhere else to see the movie . .sadly, outside of my neighborhood . .
The Truth
12:44 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
.....or 2001 in other major cities. Just a Chicago observation.......
Mari, you should try the Century City theater. I haven't been to the theater in 20 years because of what happened to them in better suburbs ex-Chicagoland but I was quite impressed and would probably go there again depending on the feature film.
Paul60657
1:31 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Its a shame they cent get someone to take over the food court downstairs. But I did notice a few months ago...they have started running more main-stream movies and "fun" midnight movies. Beginning of the end or just trying to stay alive?
Link N. Parker
2:37 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Eatzi's picked a bad location for their grocery store, otherwise I think they would have done well in the area. But they were overpriced. Most people are wary of having to go to a basement to buy their groceries. People like stores that have visible windows, this place was in a basement and you had to go down a weird escalator to get to it.
Paul60657
3:13 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Yeah - I remember - it was WAY too expensive for what it was. I dont wan the mall to close, but damn, they need to do something to keep that place alive. I suppose Ballys, The Cinema helps, as does Hertz.
Andy Ambrosius
3:37 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
I don't remember ever going to Eatzi's, but yeah, it's tough to have a food court in a mall without any great shops in it. I don't even know what I want to fill the spaces that would be a cool addition to Lakeview. I'm just crossing my fingers that Century Cinema will start playing a few more non-independent films. The only thing I ever watched there was Black Swan.
boiztwn
6:43 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
I thought the rumor/story was that Eatzi's KNEW it was going bankrupt but took the Century for a ride, regardless. Big build-out concessions and lofty promises were guaranteed just to so they could move some inventory and then fold.
Carter O'Brien
3:41 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
The irony is that if the ground floor video arcade from the 80s was still around, you could just convert it into a "beercade" like the new place on Wolfram and Sheffield.
Paul60657
3:55 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Oh Yeah! Went there too! LOL
Brad Fogel
4:06 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
They need better/comfier seats. We went there about a month ago and my back was killing me by the end of the movie. Other than that, I like that movie theater.
Mari
5:53 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Hey Truth . . .I DO go to the Century Theatre . . I really like that it has the Indy movies that I prefer so I don't have to go so far to see them. And am perfectly happy to see some of the front runners as well. Yes, it is sad what happened to that mall . . I remember Express and Bath and Body Shop did good business . .another CVS is NOT really needed there but . .hey . what do I know. If they still have "normal" sectios where you are not paying an arm and a leg . .oh thats normal . . ok where you aren't payijng both arms and both legs then I would continue to go and support that Theatre. But what I suspect will happen is we ALL pay for the "drinking and dining" experience . .no thanks to that!
nolan
12:18 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
First run movies would bring so many people there. Huge population of customers live within walking distance. Then that would attract other businesses.
Tony
10:26 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
They should consider some more practical changes. My first would be marking the way in from the parking garage better. How many people have gone out onto the loading dock just trying to find how the hell to get to the movie theater? I'm not the only one. I've seen many a patron roaming those back stairs trying to figure out how to simply get to the theater.
Inside the theater they should mark the actual screening rooms. The barely marked janitor-closed sized doors make you think you're actually going into...well...a janitor's closet.
Rachel
9:46 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
I hope offering food and booze doesn't force them to jack up the ticket price.
Mari
1:29 am on Thursday, March 21, 2013
Of course the prices will go up!! The renovation and the new "dining" experience is not gonna come for free. Other such theatres with the dining and drinking provide smart phones to the customer to place and order. These tickets for "dining experience" run about $30. Hopefully the "cheap" lol seats will still be an option.
Andy Ambrosius
10:55 am on Thursday, March 21, 2013
If it get's too expensive, we all have this to look forward to still. This place sounds beyond awesome. "Hassle-Free Cinema Confirmed for Clybourn Corridor's 'New City' Development" Link: http://patch.com/A-0YTx
richard mateja
11:13 am on Friday, March 22, 2013
The food and liquor idea is wonderful. The theaters need some TLC and having food and liquor should not cause problems. It is done at many other theaters that I have been to such as the ICON and AMC River East. Been to them many times....no problems have ensued, no noisy crowds, just more enjoyable.
Lee Crandell
12:59 pm on Sunday, April 7, 2013
The weird mall area in there seems better suited for something like medical offices than for shopping, since there's no visibility from the street and even once inside it's hard to see what's in there without walking around that odd circle ramp. That wouldn't really matter for offices though, which would also help bring more people to the block. I'd rather see businesses move into vacant storefronts on Clark than hide in the mall. I wonder if they've tried talking to Masonic or St. Joseph.