Agency Vote Moves Theater Plan Forward

The Ventura City Council, acting as the city’s Redevelopment Agency, approved Monday a six-month agreement with a Burbank developer to advance plans for a nine-screen movie theater in the heart of downtown Ventura.

Victor K. Georgino, who has been negotiating with the city for nearly a year to build a downtown multiplex, was given until July 30 to come back with a detailed development proposal.

At that time, city officials hope to sign a binding contract for the construction of a 31,523-square-foot theater with an adjacent 13,620 square feet of retail stores in the 500 block of Main Street.

In addition to approving the agreement with Georgino, the council authorized city staff to begin appraisals of properties that would have to be obtained for the project to go forward.

Under the proposal, the theater would be constructed at the site of the County Stationers building at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets and stretch down the block to the Bank of America building.

The theater and stores would take up nearly the entire block.

The project would also require the city to build a downtown parking garage. Officials are considering a city-owned lot on Santa Clara Street between Chestnut and California streets as a potential site.

City officials were on the verge of signing a development agreement with Georgino and the AMC theater chain to operate a multiscreen movie theater in the 200 block of Main last fall when AMC suddenly backed out of the deal.

AMC’s retreat came just two weeks after Century submitted a request to add eight additional screens to its multiplex theater off Johnson Drive.

Opening a theater in downtown Ventura has long been a top goal for city leaders, who hope a multiplex will lure residents to the recently renovated downtown. The city spent $4.5 million last year on downtown improvements.