Shopping centre war looms as Logan set to allow cinemas at Holmview while Beenleigh arcade remains closed

A bitter shopping mall wrangle, which has denied a southside suburb its own cinemas, is set to ramp up after a proposal to change laws governing where movie theatres can be built.

A southside shopping centre war is expected to ramp up after Logan City Council revealed plans to widen laws over where cinemas can be built.

This week, the council approved preliminary changes to its town planning laws which will allow cinemas to be built at all district centres.

The move, if implemented, will allow four cinemas to be built at Holmview, a suburb without cinemas despite being in the heart of one of Logan’s fastest growing residential communities.

Holmview Shopping Centre owner Tomas Lancini was surprised by the council proposal, which comes after his company was refused permission to build six cinemas in 2018.

His company spent money appealing the council refusal but ultimately decided to return to the drawing board and submit plans for an extension to the shopping centre without a theatre complex.

The decision came despite hundreds of Holmview residents supporting the challenge to the cinema refusal.

Developer Tomas Lancini is expanding his Holmview Central Shopping Centre. PHOTO: AAP/Renae Droop

Mr Lancini refused to comment on the council’s proposed cinema rules and also remained tight-lipped about any rivalry with Beenleigh to build the region’s first modern cinemas.

“All I can say at this point is we tried to do the cinemas and we were refused and we tried to appeal that decision but we are still committed to the centre and will submit a new development application to the council soon,” he said.

Mr Lancini said his architects and town planners were busy drafting the new development application for Holmview Central.

The closest movie theatre to Holmview is 13km away at the Hyperdome, which is also where residents from Beenleigh are forced to go to see the latest Hollywood blockbusters as their suburb also has no cinema.

A bitter battle over shopping centre dominance in the two suburbs broke out in 2018 prior to the council refusing the Holmview Central cinema extension.

The council said cinemas in Holmview would create unnecessary competition for Beenleigh traders and thwart their business growth, despite demands from Beenleigh residents.

Vanitha Lang is the owner of Kasturys in James Street in Beenleigh, where there is no cinema complex. PHOTO: Renae Droop

In October 2017, to ensure Beenleigh’s success, the council refused to adopt an officer recommendation to rezone Holmview Central and nearby land as a District Centre.

At the time, councillor Jon Raven said Beenleigh was a centre that needed “as much attention and support as possible”.

“What will happen if Beenleigh and this centre (Holmview) develop at the same time is that there will be two new shiny centres to choose from and … if one goes slightly earlier — because Lancini is ready to hit the ground running — people will be distracted and go there instead of supporting Beenleigh, which must grow as a major centre for the city.”

Along with refusing Lancini’s cinema request, the council launched a $1 million incentive package to entice developers to build a cinema complex in Beenleigh.

To date, that has never happened and Beenleigh’s historic Savages Arcade, which was believed to be the site of a possible cinema complex, has remained boarded up and closed to the public.

Tony Pennisi's Savages Arcade is left undeveloped in City Road, Beenleigh in this 2020 photo. Picture: Renae Droop

Beenleigh property developer Tony Pennisi bought Savages Arcade in 2003 and in 2017 announced plans to overhaul the building which dates back to the mid-1800s.

The council was also considering changes to laws governing the location of service stations, defining minimum lot sizes for places of worship and expanding Springwood and Underwood precinct zoning.

Proposals also included ensuring the Park Ridge Economic Corridor was zoned for low and medium impact industries.

Logan City Council was unavailable for comment.