Turn on the Casa Linda Theater lights

Just got off the phone with Clay Evans, whose SC Companies owns the theater at Casa Linda, and he said the theater renovation is 90 percent complete. The company's goal: To lease the 12,500 square feet to a retailer or restaurant -- either one tenant or three -- and to have someone in there this fall. Plus, he said, the tower lights will go back on next week.

Who does SC Companies want to lease to? Evans declined to discuss specific companies, but he said he would love to get a tenant similar to those found at Mockingbird Station, Highland Park Village or Old Town.

Can he get someone like that? It will be difficult. Typically, upscale fast casual restaurants like Cafe Express or La Madeleine need that much space, as do hardware stores, drug stores and boutique-style furniture stores. But many usually want better demographics than Casa Linda offers. Best guess, after talking to some real estate types? Three smaller franchise-type operations like Super Suppers or Mail Boxes, Etc., similar to what's in the Lakewood Shopping Center.

Comments

[Norman Alston]

It's a theater. An old theater. Yes, a historic theater, regardless of whether or not it wears the designation. What about the interior? How much of the original interior has been saved for incorporation into the space for a retailer? What retailers would work with that?

Yea, I'm glad they appear to be saving the outside. However, historic theaters are so rare and so valuable, I can't get excited about the image of an Urban Outfitters in there. Geez, can you imagine what a La Madeleine would do to it? It's like Roy Rogers stuffing Trigger. Too painful for me to think about.

[moiremusic]

Wonderful news. This is a great opportunity opening up here for something unique.

[Jeff Siegel]

Norm, far be it from me to stick up for developers, but this is probably the best of a bad situation. The first-run movie theater business is in turmoil and videos/DVD have all but destroyed second-run theaters. And I don't have to tell you what it would have cost to restore the interior after all those years of neglect. Hey, at least it's not being torn down for a grocery store.

[patti haskins]

why can't they get creative and convince Blockbuster to move across the street, expand their selection, and maybe get a Gelato store or slab ice cream place?? or maybe even Half Price Books?? we already have a mail box place. and a shoe repair, hair cutting places, dry cleaners etc. think outside the box already developers, please!!

[Matt Wood]

I went by to see what little I could see yesterday - 90% seems a bit optimistic to me. Perhaps 90% of getting electrical/gas/water upgrades to code.

What makes sense to me would be a hybrid tenant that was part sports/neighborhood bar, part old-fashioned sofa fountain/burger shop (Purple Cow-ish)and still put in a small theater space that is program driven (Classics, John Wayne weekends, Star Wars Trilogy, Thin Man, etc . . ) The theater space could also be used for college football Saturdays, Cowboy Sundays (for those who won't pay Jerry's ticket price in Arlington) and small live-venue music (or theater) stage. Since it would be smaller than Lakewood or Granada, it would be easier for smaller acts to be profitable. Any takers??

[Michael Mosteller]

Once again Jeff comes through for us. Excellent work sir. While not what I had hoped for (an actual movie theater company), it is nice to know they are almost done with the renovations and are looking for a decent tenant. It will be great to drive up Buckner and see the lit tower again. It has been missing for far too long. I am hoping one tenant rents the space, preferably a restaurant or a sports grill. Part of me wants to see a bookstore back in the area like Borders or something like Bookpeople in Austin. We really need a great destination in that spot to make it the centerpiece of the shopping center again.

I love Matt's idea. If anyone wants to give me some dough for a small theater, I would run it for you in a heart beat. And I have to disagree with you Jeff that a first run theater wouldn't have worked there. Studio Movie Grill in Addison is not much bigger than Casa Linda and it does phenomenal numbers in a competitive area. I was there a few weeks ago watching Spiderman 3 and the place was packed. Studio Movie Grill, Movie Tavern and Alamo Drafthouse are all expanding throughout Texas. The dinner and a movie concept is the current trend that is making great strides in the movie industry. People want the convenience of being able to eat dinner while watching a first run movie or to even just simply get a beer in a non-art house setting. I will concede that competition is tough in this town and with Galaxy 9 and the Northpark monstrosity 10 minutes away, it would be tough to get a company to take a chance at a smaller venue. That is why whiffing on Alamo was so tragic. It was really the theater's last hope to be a theater again.

I am thrilled that someone did save the place versus having a company like Wal Mart bulldoze it down. It keeps the charm and uniqueness of the area going which is why we all live here in the first place.

[Norman Alston]

I'm a little surprised we haven't already seen a backlash against the megaplex theater concept. Things like that seem to go in cycles. Despite the availability of movies on-line or on DVD, there is an experience to seeing a long-awaited blockbuster movie in a grand old theater, kind of like going to a concert. People listen to music all day long on their iPods, but there seems to be no problem filling concert venues. And you can hear the music better on your iPod. Ditto with sporting events. I would have thought by now that we would have come full circle with premium theaters showing premium movies, probably at premium prices. Nostalgia, more comfort, the sense of exclusivity that we love so much here, hey, even valet parking. Now that's our Dallas. Maybe there is a demand for this, but no one's tapped it. I heard for 20 years there was no demand for downtown living, then they built the first one and look what happened.

I'd just hate for this to happen and not have the Casa Linda available to take advantage of it. In my adult life we have lost the Esquire and the Wilshire. I'm having a hard time with this Casa Linda Theater thing.

[Paula]

Lots of good ideas. I hope some of them come to fruition. My main wish is that a La Madeleine would move into that shopping center. We need someplace to get a good loaf of French bread and a great salad.

[billh]

Those are all great ideas. Seems like what our shopping center needs and in fact the neighborhood needs is a little more culture. I love the idea of live music venues. That and bookstores. I'd sure make a point of patronizing any local business. I'd love to have a place to have a cold beer, hear local musicians. Seems like movie/beer/music venue could work. Actually I know lots of people in the neighborhood that would patronize something like that. The Grenada seems to be doing well.

I do notice that Lone Star on NW Highway has Johnny Lloyd Rollins playing Friday night. He's a fantastic singer songwriter, just back from playing in London. I really love his music.

http://www.myspace.com/johnnylloydrollins

[Jeff Siegel]

I'm not trying to put a damper on anyone's hopes for the theater -- I'm just reporting what I was told by a number of people who are supposed to know about these things. The thing about retail leasing is that "best use" is not always what the neighborhood wants, but what a tenant is willing to pay. If a sports bar/movie theater/bookstore doesn't want to pay what SC wants, then you won't get any of them.

Retail leasing is the most complicated, least sensible part of the business world that I have ever written about. Decisions are made by people thousands of miles away and the actual leasing process (looking for property, looking for tenants, negotiating, etc.) makes home buying seem like buying a head of lettuce.

I'll never forget interviewing the guy who brought Carrabba's to the Lakewood Shopping Center. He was terrified it was going to flop -- not in a suburb, not surrounded by the exact same demographics as every other Carrabba's, not located near an expressway, etc. He was so unsure about it that I almost asked him why he was bothering. That's the mindset you're dealing with, both on the leasing and tenant side, in bringing anything into Casa Linda.