Long before the work-from-home trend hollowed out some once-busy workplaces, cities faced a different real estate challenge: what to do with all of those empty cinemas left abandoned by the rise of television.
For many decades the Golden Age of Cinema gave rise to ornate structures across the world built specifically to thrill audiences with the top celluloid fare from Hollywood.
The velvet-covered seats went less frequented as the arrival of televisions, VCRs and more recently internet streaming left some cinemas empty, forcing owners to rethink their properties. The dwindling is expected to continue, as 70% of cinema's in the United States could be forced to close, according to a report from an association of movie house owners in 2021. The group's outcry prompted the US Congress to approve US$15 billion to help such venues stay open.
The effort has not stopped cinemas from closing, as many structures have been repurposed for other usages. Some have been transformed into retail space, such as the Alabama in Houston and the Diversy in Chicago. Tesla recently announced plans to transform Pacific movie houses in Los Angeles into service and delivery hubs, while other cinemas, such as the River Oaks in Houston, are being renovated under a new landlord and tenant with the hope of a return to past glory.
Montreal, Canada’s second-biggest city, has faced challenges in its efforts to maintain its rich heritage of cinematic venues and could be seen as an indicator on the variety of possible fates faced by old movie real estate. Throughout the past century, Montreal saw the creation of some magnificent movie halls that were celebrated for their intricate design and attention to artistic detail, often with artistic flourishes supplied by legendary local artist Emmanuel Briffa.
Over the past few decades some cinemas in Montreal have been repurposed for other uses. Here is a sampling:
Imperial: The structure at 1430 Bleury opened in 1913 as 2,000-seat vaudeville venue and later slimmed down to 800 seats while alternating through periods as a cinema and live venue. Canada's federal government tossed a CA$3 million lifeline in February to the struggling operation in a much-developed section of downtown Montreal after media giant Quebecor pulled the plug on the former cinema after spending a reported CA$8.5 million on improving the space since 2017. Other levels of government are expected to add to the federal funds to keep the Imperial live venue operating. The initiative comes at a time when all such spaces are being considered as possible solutions to the ongoing Montreal housing crisis, including the site next door that was recently demolished for a 22-floor residential tower.
Loews: The building at 952 St. Catherine St. W is being transformed by Montreal developer Brivia Group into a 226-unit Mansfield condo tower. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 after financing issues led to delays. The Loews opened in 1917, and then it was turned into a five-cinema multiplex in 1975 that closed in 2000. It was then used for a variety of other purposes including an indoor Club Med World before it was demolished in 2022.
Palace: The structure at 698 St. Catherine W opened around 1920 and was transformed into a multiplex in 1980 and closed in 2000. It was later used as a multimedia entertainment outlet for three years and was turned into a call answering office and currently has a restaurant on the ground floor.
Westmount: The building at 5038 Sherbrooke St. W operated as a cinema between 1926 and 1984. It later became known as The Claremont, and was eventually transformed into a 17,000-square-foot drug store with parking.
Snowdon: The structure at 5227 Decarie opened in 1937 and closed 1982. It then housed retail outlets and later a gymnastics club. The city of Montreal sold it in 2013 and it remained closed until Montreal developer Omnia Technologies developed 62 condos, with the original movie house sign and some of the art deco elements intact.
Monkland: The building at 5500 Monkland opened in 1930 and closed in 1983. Developer Baron Byng transformed the building that is now used to house about 30,000 square feet of offices spread over four floors, along with ground floor retail.
Champlain: The structure at 1819 Sainte Catherine E opened in 1948 and closed in 1990 and was used as a church until it was demolished in 2020. Local developer Mondev is building a project that will place 222 units over nine floors at the larger site.
Seville: The building at 2155 Ste. Catherine W opened in 1929 and initially hosted live shows before becoming a repertory venue until it closed in 1984, becoming a much-discussed crumbling downtown landmark. Montreal developers Claridge and Prével purchased the property along with several other adjacent buildings and added a multitowered, 80,000-square-foot mixed-use residential and retail project in 2012.
York: The structure at 1487 St. Catherine W opened in 1938 and closed in 1989. Concordia University purchased the dilapidated larger property in 1998 and demolished it in 2002. Concordia’s EV building, a 17-floor tower containing 1.2 million square feet, opened in 2005 on the site.
Cinema Le Parisien: The building at 480 St. Catherine W opened in 1917 as the 2,000-seat Princess and became Le Parisien in 1963. It was transformed into a multiplex in 1975 and closed in 2007. The property has been transformed into retail space but has remained mostly empty for several years. A representative from the ownership group told CoStar News that it spent a large sum of money renovating the property for a European outlet that later canceled the deal.
Regent: The structure at 5117 Park Ave. opened in 1915 and closed in 1987 after stints with names Le Laurier and later Le Beaver. It now houses a large Renaud Bray bookstore.
Outremont: The building at 1248 Bernard opened in 1928 as a 1,200-seat movie house that closed in 1987. It remains open as a venue for the arts after considerable investment in the structure.
Cinema L’Amour: Located at 4015 Saint Laurent, the building opened in 1914 as The Globe and has been an adult venue since 1969.
Cinéma Beaubien: The structure at 2396 Beaubien E is a 700-seat cinema that opened in 1937 and remains operational showing movies to this day.
Empress: The building at 5550 Sherbrooke W opened around 1927 and alternated between being a live venue and cabaret in the 1960s before finally closing after many years as a repertory cinema known as Cinema V. The city of Montreal took ownership of the structure in 2010. The building has remained vacant for decades as a series of redevelopment and renovation attempts have so far failed to advance.
The Rialto: The structure at 5711 Park Ave. opened in 1923. The three-floor heritage building continues to operate as a live event venue.
Corona: The building at 2490 Notre Dame W opened around 1912 and remained abandoned for decades before being revived in 1998 as a music venue.
The Riviera: The structure at 8820 Saint Laurent opened in 1954 as an 800-seat movie venue. It billed itself as a drive-in, even though it was no such thing, as drive-ins were banned in Quebec until the late 1960s. After 1988, the building housed a live music venue and then an adult venue known as Solid Gold until it closed in 2020. The premises have more recently been occupied by a club called Complexe Libertin Luxuria.
Le Chateau: The building at 6956 Saint-Denis opened as a 1,300-seat venue in 1931 and became used for a religious venue in 1989 and more recently has been used as a circus school.
Cinéma Starcité: The structure at 4825 Pierre-De Coubertin is the only recent building on this list, as it opened next to the Olympic Stadium in November 2000. A hotel project is expected to include the removal of 11 of the 17 multiplex cinemas.