New $17m Glenelg cinema won’t be open this summer after three-month delay

IT’S been one of the most eagerly-awaited projects at Glenelg but a planned new $17m cinema won’t be open in time for Christmas, despite plans to start showing films in December.

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IT’S been one of the most eagerly-awaited projects at Glenelg but a planned new $17m cinema won’t be open in time for Christmas, despite plans to start showing films in December.

Instead, Glenelg Star Wars fans will have to travel to a theatre far, far away to see the latest instalment of the franchise.

The opening of the new cinema at the Bay has been delayed for three months.

Summer blockbusters Star Wars, Suffragette and Joy will have been and gone before Greater Union opens its doors to the public.

Greater Union has told the Guardian Messenger the cinema would open in March, at the end of the Bay’s busy summer period, instead of its scheduled December opening.

Glenelg Star Wars fans will have to travel to a theatre far, far away to see the latest instalment of the franchise. Picture: David James Lucasfilm 2015

The delay has angered some Jetty Rd traders, while Holdfast Bay Council says the new date will bring extra customers to the strip when they are needed most.

Beach Burrito manager Angus Warren said the delay was a blow for Bay eateries.

He said summer was peak time for Glenelg, but restaurants which “had the capacity to be busier” would be most affected by the delay.

“The restaurants hoping to capitalise on the cinema were banking on this to turn their business around will be very disappointed,” Mr Warren said.

Jacqui Plenty, owner of Jetty Rd clothing store Black Pepper, said Greater Union was “crazy” not to open the cinema when summer blockbusters were hitting the screens.

“A lot of people were getting excited that we would have a picture theatre here by Christmas, and we were hoping for that extra flow of customers,” Mrs Plenty said.

“It is so disappointing, especially since they had promised that it would be open next month.”

Greater Union confirmed the new opening date last week but did not respond to further questions.

Andrew Taplin, who is building the cinema and new carparking lot on land bounded by Partridge, Cowper and Milton streets, said cinema fit-outs were complex and technical.

He said Greater Union had not told him the opening had been set back three months, despite builders working to have it open in December.

“We had paid our construction team acceleration costs and have really pushed hard at this end,” Mr Taplin said.

He said Greater Union was not bound by any lease conditions to open the cinema at a particular time.

The eight-screen complex will have 930 cinema seats, including a gold class section.

Mr Taplin proposed the $17 million project, including 374 carparks, in 2012.

Holdfast Bay Glenelg Ward councillor Sam Charlick said the silver lining to the delay would be an extension of Jetty Rd’s busy period.

“It may actually draw more people to Glenelg when traders are starting to wind down,” Cr Charlick said.

“Summer is not a hard time for traders.

“It is disappointing, it’s been something everyone’s been looking forward to for a while.

“But I’m sure when it is up and going people will get excited.”

Holdfast Bay Mayor Stephen Patterson said there was still plenty happening at Glenelg.

“There’s a packed program of events, attractions old and new, and some exciting openings planned for Glenelg this summer, to draw customers and visitors,” Mr Patterson said.