Burnside Council announces it will continue to own and run the Regal Theatre
BURNSIDE Council has announced it will continue to run the historic Regal Theatre on Kensington Rd, seven months after it terminated a lease with a private operator.
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BURNSIDE Council has announced it will continue to run the historic Regal Theatre on Kensington Rd, seven months after it terminated a lease with a private operator.
The council today said it would look to expand the use of the heritage-listed cinema to include live theatre, “music, community and family” events, as well as opening it to private hire.
The Eastern Courier Messenger understands Burnside is the only Adelaide council to own and run a movie theatre.
The council has been operating the Kensington Park cinema since February, after terminating its lease with Republic Theatres, which had been in place for six years.
Before that, the cinema, then known as the Chelsea, had been run by Wallis Cinemas for more than 40 years.
In 2009, the council moved to sell the 1925-built, Art Deco cinema, but, after 18 months of debate and public backlash, abandoned that plan in 2011.
Today’s announcement comes after Mayor David Parkin told Eastern Courier Messenger in March there “would be a lot better operators of a cinema than Burnside Council”.
“We’d like to increase the diversity of the offer and move it from what has not been particularly well patronised to a somewhat better offer for the community,” Mr Parkin said at the time.
“We’ll keep it going while we look at our options.”
Burnside’s general manager of urban and community Barry Cant today said the council would look to hire out the venue as a genuine “multi-purpose facility” for private groups and charities.
Upgrades to outdoor spaces were also being proposed.
The council will now develop a management plan to “restore and refurbish” the theatre and negotiate arrangements with existing tenants.