Oak Street Cinema to be demolished

October 24, 2008
by Kayla Lafond, MNSpeak • 10/24/08 • Minneapolis removes historic cinema from "do not demolish" list.
Opus Corp is the developer of the new "Campus Crossroads" student housing that will house CVS as an anchor and include more parking ramps. The city has finally removed Oak St Cinema from its do not demolish list as of September 30, 2008. Campus pizza and pasta announced they will be moving across the street, leaving their location of 49 years.
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As a citizen who has enjoyed films there for years I am aware of the issues MN film arts/Ufilm Society has experienced, but still find no excuse to demolish this single screen repertory theater operated by a well-meaning and passionate non-profit. As a student at the University I am outraged that more student housing as private business will be tearing up a section of campus life and community. The building may be considered the least aesthetically pleasing of the Liebenberg (who went to the University) movie theaters (he renovated it in the 30s) but I know how much it means to me, my friends, and others to have a theater in that space. Going to movies and discovering film there when I was in high school in the late 90s practically saved my life! I am deeply troubled by this development. I enjoy the beauty of the Oak St, and wish my opinion mattered. I know it seems every few years there is a scare about the future of the Oak St, but I think because of this boy-who-cried-wolf atmosphere, and due to the entanglement of MN Film Arts in the past, that this is the real deal. Washington Ave, Stadium Village (now with new Stadium!), and Oak Street will complete their evolution into suburban mall facades. Oak St deserves to be saved. We have a "demolition" disease in America that fails to support architecture and the history of their own city. Plus, Oak St has RC Cola on tap. Image: Teat Beat of Sex appeared at the Oak Street Cinema in September as part of the Manhattan Short Film Festival.

    Comments

    Marquee

    Submitted by Jacob W (not verified) on Mon, 10/27/2008 - 2:18pm.
    At least some of the money-makers involved have good intentions, right? "The board approved the 'memorandum of agreement' with an amendment that the developer and architect make every effort to keep the theatre marquee in the new design (a replica would be alright, too, if the original were not able to withstand reincorporation)." I bet CVS loves this. Now they'll have a tasteful and olde-timey means of advertising sales on toilet paper and tampons. The parenthetical is hilarious. First, why bother keeping the original marquee? To remind everyone how greed and personal gain always seem to win? Because don't be fooled into thinking this is a benefit for anyone other than the people who will monetarily profit. The area doesn't need another chain drug store, and Minneapolis/St. Paul has a glut of housing. Second, how is using a replica of the original marquee anything other than absurd? The Board of the MN Film Arts have failed miserably in performing the mission of the organization. It's a shame that such a special non-profit would deteriorate so quickly under their governance. No one should hold his or her breath for a relocation of the Film Arts to a screen at St. Anthony, but at least we'll have a marquee!

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