The Santa Clarita City Council will consider negotiating with Laemmle Theatres and a developer partner to bring a 6-screen Laemmle art house movie theater and residential units to Old Town Newhall.
The location under discussion is the empty city block that’s owned by the city and its former redevelopment agency across from the Old Town Newhall Library (bounded by Lyons, Main, 9th and Railroad).
The combined project is expected to generate an estimated $4 million in economic activity annually in an area the city has long been trying to revitalize.
The council is scheduled to discuss the matter at its regular meeting Tuesday evening.
Background
The city and its redevelopment agency purchased the 2-acre block across from the new library in November 2008 with the intention of redeveloping it. Some of the property was leased; when tenants’ leases expired, the existing buildings were bulldozed to make way for a new project. A Laemmle-type theater had been in the plans for the site since 2005, along with a housing component and public parking. (Under state redevelopment law, 20 percent of redevelopment assets had to be set aside to improve the housing stock in blighted areas. The downtown area qualified.)
Then in early 2012 the Legislature and the governor canceled redevelopment throughout the state. In 2011, as redevelopment was unraveling, Santa Clarita’s redevelopment agency transferred some of its property to the city.
Today the block consists of nine parcels, some of which are owned by the city, some by the “successor agency” to the redevelopment agency, and some by the city on behalf of the housing obligation under the old redevelopment law.
In 2013, as required by state law after the termination of redevelopment, the city filed a “long-range plan” to sell off its redevelopment property.
Under the long-range plan, which the state accepted, the city said it would put the property to bid and sell it to a developer who would create a project consistent with the city’s Old Town Newhall redevelopment plan.
The city solicited bids from nearly 100 potential applicants. There were five responses. Three were tossed out because they didn’t include a theater or public parking.
The two qualifying bidders were Laemmle Theatres in partnership with Serrano Development Group/Pacific Coast Housing Development of Glendale; and Maya/HighRidge Costa.
After meetings with staff and a professional consultant and a subcommittee of Mayor Marsha McLean and Councilman Bob Kellar, the Laemmle/Serrano proposal floated to the top.
Moving forward
Tuesday, the City Council will consider directing staff to see if it can work out the nuts and bolts with Laemmle and Serrano. The latter develops multifamily, industrial and retail projects throughout the southwestern United States, including the current Laemmle Lofts housing project in Glendale.
Under separate ownership, the new theater, on 12,000 square feet of the redevelopment block, and 46 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom condo or apartment units on 37,500 square feet of the redevelopment block, would be handled by the city as two separate projects.
The city (or related agency) would hang onto some of the property for an eventual third project – a 300-space public parking structure.
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74 Comments
Hooray!!
Awesome
I like this idea a lot. What a great idea for Newhall.
Stamp it. And build it.
Yes!!!! Hate that I have to drive so far for movies!
Great idea!!!
yes….please come to scv!!!!
Is this the one with couches
Yes please!
Plan on pickets from the conservatives…
Huh?
We desperately need a new theater,
This would be better and provide more taxes to the City!!! http://www.ipictheaters.com/ipic-book-event.aspx
they didn’t bid
Great idea!
Love it!
That would be great!
Perfect
College of the Canyons has FREE independent movies Friday nights.
Not sure how that helps revitalize Newhall, unless COC is planning to move them-?
Yay!!!
That would be so cool!!
Hooray!
Yes, Please!
Yes please
Yes yes yes!
That would be AWESOME !!!!!!
Love ours in Lancaster!
It is about time, sooner the better.
Finally
Yes.
Let us pray.
Will it be an i pic?
Yes please. LOVE the Laemmle!!!
Why Not?
Julie Cieto
Julie Cieto
I’m in!
I’m in!
Regal needs competition
Yes please!!!
Cross our fingers! This is an awesome idea!
Renee Valle Leon
Renee Valle Leon
Yay! Hope it goes through!
Yay! Hope it goes through!
We are getting there, where can we vote our yes!!
We are getting there, where can we vote our yes!!
If you enjoy independent movies, you will love this theatre!!! My husband and I go to the Laemmle’s in Claremont & Pasadena.
If you enjoy independent movies, you will love this theatre!!! My husband and I go to the Laemmle’s in Claremont & Pasadena.
Sounds like 100% approval here on FB. Nice!
Sounds like 100% approval here on FB. Nice!
Yay! Greg! Makes me happy!
Yay! Greg! Makes me happy!
That would be awesome!
YES!
YES!
Nice
This is the best idea yet! I’d be so happy!!!! Please, for the sake of this community, do this! So needed!!!
Yes, yes, yes. Need a theater that will show great movies. The sooner the better.
Yay!
Yes please!!!!
YES! Please vote this in!
that would be AWESOME!
Not sure if it would bring in the revenue it would need to be sustained?
If they are putting in new housing as well, I hope they are building a school.
Like an art school for the residents of the 46 upstairs senior & artist lofts? Good idea; that could probably be accommodated inside the theater.
Please, please a “yes” vote for this project, especially regarding Laemmle. Great theatre.
Love Indy movies. Bring it on.
Very cool! I can walk to the theater!
Love this idea!
It’s about time
This is awesome news! SC needs more diversity in its entertainment venues and Newhall will thrive with the addition of a theatre and housing for seniors and artists!