The future of the Belgrave Cinema run by Services UNE is under review, with a formal offer on the table by the Armidale Ex-Services Club, which owns the building, to acquire the business.
“The offer has presented Services UNE with an opportunity to review its involvement with Belgrave Cinema,” said UNE Chief Operating Officer and Director of Services UNE, Peter Enlund
“The Board of Services UNE is very mindful of the important community function the cinema plays and any decision which is made regarding the lease will be done with the community’s interest at heart.
“That is why proper consultation will be undertaken prior to any decision being made.”
Mr Enlund said in evaluating the offer, the Board of Services UNE will also consider what other options it might have, including identifying any other potentially interested parties.
Chief Executive Officer of the Armidale Ex-Services Club, Bob Ryan is keen to see the Belgrave Cinema come under the umbrella of Armidale Ex-Services Club operations where he believes it will benefit from the club’s extensive experience in marketing and entertainment management.
“In 1995 the Armidale Ex-Services Club was approached by the then UNE Union to develop the current Belgrave Cinema building,” said Bob Ryan.
“We built it for them and then rented it to the UNE Union.
“When the Union ceased, the lease was renegotiated with Services UNE.”
He sees the cinema as an asset for the town and doesn’t believe it is part of the core business of UNE.
“We have already developed a marketing strategy for the Belgrave Cinema in the hope that we are successful in acquiring the business,” said Mr Ryan.
“I would like to assure people that it will always remain a cinema with the possibility for future expansion.
“We built it because the town needed a cinema. We are always in regular contact with the Friends of the Cinema and while I am here at the Armidale Ex-Services Club and from the views of the board it will remain a cinema.”
If successful, the Belgrave Cinema will complement the planned expansion of the club that includes a four star motel, new entrance foyer, multi-level car parking facility and the connection of the existing Belgrave Cinema complex to the new buildings.
The Armidale Ex-Services Club is currently developing a re-submission to council after the existing DA was refused by the Northern Region Joint Regional Planning Panel in 2010, due to the application’s lack of adequate flood response as the development falls on a site that is subject to flooding.
“We are submitting a fresh DA because of the possibility of a one in one hundred year flood,” said Mr Ryan.
“Council are more cautious after what happened in Toowoomba and other areas.
“We did offer a safety in place area, however council believe that we need to put an exit bridge across to a safe place, which we have now agreed to.
The exit bridge is in the process of being designed, and once this is finalised, the club will submit their new DA to council.
“We have had a lot of consultation with council who seem happy with what we have proposed.”
The three year delay and the added costs of the exit bridge have increased the overall spend on the redevelopment, however this has not deterred the club from its long term goal with members unanimously agreeing to go ahead at the 2011 AGM.
“We firmly believe that there is a need for a four and a half to five star motel with conference facilities in the Armidale CBD,” said Mr Ryan.
“There is no doubt this is a significant financial commitment but it will be built in three stages.
“We are trying to look at the future of the club and the potential for the motel to employ 30 staff.”
Story: Jo Harrison
