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A theater fades to black?

Film buffs and many Hyde Park residents wonder if condos will really replace Sunrise Cinemas, and when.

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published April 7, 2006

HISTORIC HYDE PARK - It's a big part of the reason he moved just down the street from Old Hyde Park Village: Conrad Keeler likes all kinds of movies, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent films and international cinema.

For the past couple of years, in particular, the seven-screen theater at 1609 W Swann Ave. has fit the bill.

Its most recent incarnation, as Sunrise Cinemas, emphasizes acclaimed and alternative cinema with a dash of mainstream fare.

"It's been exactly the kind of theater you'd want here," said Keeler, 39, an Internet business consultant.

But there's one big problem, he admitted: "It's not usually very busy."

That's one big reason the theater doesn't appear on the retail center's $100-million improvement plan.

In unveiling the redevelopment project, principal managing partner David Wasserman said he planned to erect an 11-story condominium tower on the theater site.

Which begs the question: Is sunset approaching for Sunrise?

Whether the theater will close or move - and, if so, when - is a question hot on the minds of local film buffs and many Hyde Park residents, some of whom enjoy having a theater within walking distance.

And it's not easily answered, especially by Sunrise, a small South Florida chain that has continually declined to comment on anything regarding the Hyde Park venue.

Film buffs have reason to be concerned. Sunrise has been a key participant in the Tampa International Film Festival, the Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival and the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Rob Tregenza is the director of the Tampa International Film Festival and a film professor at the University of Tampa.

If Sunrise were to close, he said, "I think it would really put the arts scene in Tampa in a very difficult position. The loss of it would be a major hit against independent film."

If Tampa is serious about being an international city, "we need to have venues for international cinema."

When it was part of the AMC chain, the 20,000-square-foot theater mostly showed mainstream movies. It closed in July 2003 because of dwindling business, largely blamed on multiplexes with stadium seating that sprouted throughout Tampa.

After an extensive redecoration, it enjoyed a brief reincarnation, from November 2003 to June 2004, as Madstone, part of a small chain that specialized in independent and foreign films. But that company folded, and Sunrise took over about two weeks later.

A neighborhood theater, even one without stadium seating, might have seemed quite the amenity not long ago.

But in the 21st century, theater attendance is way down. In a world of big-screen televisions, DVD by mail, high-definition cable and satellite services, many people find four blocks too far away for a movie. To them, the view from the living room couch looks pretty good.

One problem with that notion, Tregenza said, is that many cutting-edge international films might not get released on DVD for a while, if at all.

Sunrise isn't the only local place for alternative film, but it's one of few, and it has the advantage of numerous screens.

Downtown, just a couple of miles away, Tampa Theatre offers a regular slate of independent film. Tara Schroeder, the historic theater's community relations manager, said her "heart skipped a beat" when she first heard the condo news.

"Some people do perceive Sunrise as our competitor, which is kind of annoying,'' said Schroeder, who has worked at the downtown theater for 14 years.

"They have seven screens. We only have one screen, so we can only show one movie at a time. When we're committed to showing a film, there needs to be another place for these films to go. I like Sunrise. I'm a patron."

But the theater might already have some issues. Lance Goldenberg, film critic for the local alternative newspaper Weekly Planet, recently reported that two independent films scheduled to open at Sunrise over two subsequent weeks had been pulled at the last minute.

There's no indication that other area theaters would add more independent fare if Sunrise were to close.

When Channelside Cinemas 9 opened, it included some independent films but soon switched to a fully mainstream lineup.

In Ybor City's Centro Ybor, the Muvico 20 has screened some local films and is participating in this week's Ybor Festival of the Moving Image.

Krista Soroka, the Tampa Bay film commissioner, said she's hopeful Sunrise will find a way to survive.

"I understand their management to be extremely film friendly, and we'd hate to see something like that go," she said.

Lynn Luczkowski, a spokeswoman for Wasserman, said the ownership hopes to put "some sort of theater or entertainment component" in the renovated village. But there's no indication yet what that might entail.

It could be a year or so until construction begins where the theater sits, Luczkowski said. The neighboring Wine Exchange already has announced plans to move. Sunrise is "going to stay open until that happens,'' she said.

Until then, Hyde Park locals like Keeler will keep showing up.

"I hope they can figure something out," he said. "This would be a big loss.''

Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or 226-3431. His blog, The Ill Literate, is at sptimes.com/blogs/tampaarts/.

[Last modified April 6, 2006, 14:16:31]