Get cinema project off the ground

[Ed Anger Jr]

Hey, hey, hey, wait just a minute "Pittsfield Resident." There's plenty for them youngins to come home to! We got Spice n Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillar, the Berkshire Film Festival! Where you been? And let me tell ya, there'll be plenty of DSS and child care jobs if the little lady from the "Teen Mom" article keeps at it! Lots of jail jobs too, judging from the other pieces in the paper! THERE IS HOPE!

[Another mother]

Pittsfield resident wrote:

A cinema downtown would be nice. It's almost impossible for anyone to sit and enjoy a movie at the Berkshire Mall on a Friday (or Saturday for that matter) with all of the kids fooling around and yelling etc. There are hundreds of them.
They're all there, because there is really nowhere else for them to go. Instead of Mayor Ruberto draining the GE fund for his own personal interests,
he should ask the youth of the city, what they would like to see happen downtown.
After all, it is their city too!
They are the future of this city and I can almost guarantee you, that as soon as they're old enough and have finished their educations, it's highly unlikely that they'll settle back in this area and raise their children here. They know that there won't be anything for them to look forward to.

I could not agree with you more.

[Eric]

City youth wrote:

I agree 100% with the last poster. There are so many wonderfully, positive kids in this city, who do the right thing and who do want to see a change in the way adults look at them.
Get THEIR opinions, get THEIR views, channel THEIR
energy. They are important to the future of the city.
Mayor Ruberto has no children of his own and that may be why he chooses to ignore ours, time and time and time again.
Say NO to the cinema project and YES to our kids.

I raised two of them. It's not so much anti-Pittsfield as anti-small town that attracts them to the big city and keeps them there.

[Another mother]

Ed Anger Jr wrote:

Hey, hey, hey, wait just a minute "Pittsfield Resident." There's plenty for them youngins to come home to! We got Spice n Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillar, the Berkshire Film Festival! Where you been? And let me tell ya, there'll be plenty of DSS and child care jobs if the little lady from the "Teen Mom" article keeps at it! Lots of jail jobs too, judging from the other pieces in the paper! THERE IS HOPE!

Oh how right you are! Thanks for the laugh.

[Another mother]

I for one, will not vote for any member of the city council, who "chooses to do the right thing" for Mayor Ruberto.

[City youth]

Eric wrote:

<quoted text>I raised two of them. It's not so much anti-Pittsfield as anti-small town that attracts them to the big city and keeps them there.

I agree with you but I also feel that there should be something positive for these kids to do, while they're growing up and while they're here.
What happens after that, is up to them.

[GMHeller]

Dan Shaw wrote:

It seems to me that movie theater can be an engine for gentrification. Without the Triplex in Great Barrington and The Moviehouse in Millerton, those towns would not have become destinations. If there were no Triplex, there would be no Berkshire International Film Festival. You can't have a film festival at a multiplex in a mall! So even though I am unclear about the specifics of the project, I do believe that a cinema is essentail for downtown, especially because movies are accessible and affordable and attract people on a regular basis.
http://www.RuralIntelligence.com

Wow, the Berkshire International Film Festival,
how de rigueur!
Definitely an international destination for the cognoscenti.
I have it on my calendar: Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, and Great Barrington.
I hope GB Airport can handle the Gulfstream, it would be awful having to limo from Pittsfield.

[Ramdan]

GMHeller wrote:

<quoted text>
Wow, the Berkshire International Film Festival,
how de rigueur!
Definitely an international destination for the cognoscenti.
I have it on my calendar: Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, and Great Barrington.
I hope GB Airport can handle the Gulfstream, it would be awful having to limo from Pittsfield.

If they can fill in the wetlands pittsfield will be able to handle B 52's!
There is so much swampland around we could use some more dry land!

[Thomas Fontaine]

The Beacon now sports 18,000 square feet of retail and office space, up from 5,000 square feet; actual construction costs have soared from $8.7 million in October 2006 to as much as $13.6 million. Explaining the $22.6 million bottom line, Ruffer pointed to major increases in "soft costs" such as redesign requirements, additional historic research and financing.

mmmmmm

lets see now. At $10 to $15 a head 2,000,000 tickets to be sold for the net cost recoup AT 200 people a day that would be approx 10,000 showing days or 30 years sort of like an un fixed mortgage. oh we still have overhead and operating costs. jeepers when will we se a profit out of the red duh.

They should have revamped the Big N cinamas which always had a good volume but poor management and parking. it would be like 21 million dollars cheaper and use that 20 million to start forming jobs and a work force. without a work force Pittsfield is dead in the water.

SEE MORE ON OUR CITY.

click here

www.thomaswfontaine.spaces.live.com/

[Emeritus]

We've hit this "cinema" topic a few times in the last few months. With Netflix & Blockbuster delivering what you want, when you want, home systems coupled with the cost of going to a movie (parking, food, advertising at the movie) etc. it just isn't going to happen.

It's just too late in the game to start this project, especially at the new soaring costs.

[charles]

GMHeller wrote:

Isn't this the way the Big Dig got started?
BD was originally supposed to cost $1.5 Billion and ballooned to over $15 Billion and still counting.
When has throwing good money after bad ever paid off?
If Beacon Cinema Project is such a good investment, let William Dean Singleton, The Berkshire Eagle's out-of-state, Denver-based owner, put his own money into it.
And if it is a good investment, the cinema's backers should have no problem finding other private capital to complete the project.
That is, IF it's a good investment.
If not, why should the City waste any taxpayer or GE Economic Incentive Fund dollars on it?
GMHeller
Monterey,MA
http://www.berkshireeagle.blogspot.com/
http://www.wamcnet.blogspot.com/
http://www.wamc.net/

you made a very funny point.but this cinema deal has been in the works for the past 14yrs for petesakes.its true,its been in the works for the past 14yrs.a new movie company that built i-max theaters started in toronto,canada.then they came here in pittsfield,they wanted to build i-max theaters behind england brothers and jj newberrys,and apparently the seats were also gonna move around like you were on a roller coaster.this company also had a special effects company down in lenox dale in the early to mid 1990s,they did special effects for that movie stargate,judge dredd and some others.im not sure they are still in lenox dale anymore,i last heard they wanted to move that special effects company up into mass moca.but not only were they gonna build the first i-max theaters here in the united states in pittsfield,they also wanted build an amusement park nearby with back to the future and batman rides and others.but the mayor and city council screwed it over just like they did when the berkshire mall was gonna be built in that area 24yrs ago

[charles]

Dave Casey wrote:

IT,s to bad that this Mayor and council cannot see the big picture.Yesterdays Eagle had 4 pages of open houses displayed. Wake up Pittsfield ! the economic downwhere sprial is here.We are better off that our surounding neighbors because we,re sitting on a 10 million bank account, But do you think these "friendly investor" would be here if we didn,t??? Good sound business development will grow this community. I am reminded of that everytime i drive by the "field of dreams" (the GE site ). When the money dries up Jimmy will be in a condo in Fla. and i'll be look to remorgage to stay ahead of my property taxes

thats very funny calling the former ge toxic waste dumpsite,the field of dreams.but so far,kevin costner isnt here and have a huge corn field where the former ge was,then turned over much of it into a baseball field,if you build it they will come.speaking of field of dreams,costner and the people who made that movie were over in iowa 2 summers ago in 2006 celebrating the 20th anniversarry with hot dogs and beers and all.but speaking of this stupid theater they wanna build on north st.this thing been in the making for 14yrs now,i still cant believe the city of pitt in a field hasnt built the damn thing yet.i would rather see this theater be built out in the eastern part of the city somehwere nearby in one of these areas bed bath and beyond and super stop and shop and allendale and coltsville and the berkshire crossing complex

[charles]

Eric wrote:

<quoted text>I was with you right up until the last two words. Since 1981, Pittsfield has taxed business at a higher rate than residences. Presently business' rate is double the homeowner rate. The result, a quarter century later, is entirely predictable. We have too many houses and not enough businesses. I absolutely am not recommending a tax increase. Taxes are too high already. But, instead of pretending homes are overtaxed, we need to realize we're killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

tax rates went thru the roof because of republicans,they figure why not tax the middle class and make them pay for it all,therefor tax the low-middle class and small businesses and make them for it all while the rich get away with everything.plus that stupid gov dukakis couldnt of been a democrat as far as im concerned,because he did everything republicans from the 1970s into 1989 and tanked the massachusetts economy 3 times and raised taxes even more on the low-middle classs and small businesses besides raising prices at the department of motor vehicles because dukakis always said the dmv was a gold mine and make tons of money from the low-middle class

[charles]

pat the painter wrote:

In the meantime the taxpayer funded movie theatre will hurt the existing ones like Great Barrington, Lanesborough, and Millerton, NY.
There used to be a multiplex on West Housatonic Street that didn't maek it because of lanesborough, and who can forget the old theatres on North Street that are no longer. There is not that great of demand to see movies, with DVD rentals and purchases around and fewer people in Berkshire County, it just doesn't seem right to use tax money on such a risky venture, that is unfair to other movie theatres that pay taxes.

it is true to build a new theater on north st a stupid dumbass idea now,because you rent or buy dvds with excellent digital picture and digital sound and excellent home theater packages for your dvd.but now dvd players and recorders prices have plunged and anybody can get one,plus you ever go to that store FYE down to the right side of price chopper market place,and FYE has a huge selection on dvd movies and have real good low prices on alotta the dvd movies.they got massive quantity of dvd movies at real good low prices,so why not go here and get what you want.regal theaters up at the berkshire mall is the #1 movie theater chain here in the united states,they are the best.

[Mink Frog]

My own kids refer to the Berkshires as a "Nursing home with its' own symphony orchestra".
There really isn't much to do. Even the good kids are constantly harassed and overly scrutinized by the police.(Pulled over for no reason- they call it driving while teenaged. They can't wait to get to Boston, New York, Burlington Vt. and even Albany. Perhaps we should look at how young people are treated by authority figures. I find DA Capeless' ads rather ironic- and so do the kids.

[charles]

Jake wrote:

<quoted text>
Ah, The old movie houses. I loved going to the Capitol,Palace and Show place.

me too,i remember seeing E.T. indiana jones and the lost ark,the 2nd indiana jones,i forgot the name its been a long time lol.plus superman,superman 2,jaws,jaws2,ghostbusters,spie s like us,caveman,the outsiders,over the edge,and some others,but i also mainly went to the drive ins aswell during the mid-late 1970s till 1985 where super stop and shop is and at the other drive in up in lanesborough just before mount greylock,although its getting more and more difficult to tell it was even at that spot anymore.

[Eric]

Mink Frog wrote:

My own kids refer to the Berkshires as a "Nursing home with its' own symphony orchestra".
There really isn't much to do. Even the good kids are constantly harassed and overly scrutinized by the police.(Pulled over for no reason- they call it driving while teenaged. They can't wait to get to Boston, New York, Burlington Vt. and even Albany. Perhaps we should look at how young people are treated by authority figures. I find DA Capeless' ads rather ironic- and so do the kids.

After several years at college, my son was home for Christmas and hooked up with few of his friends one night. The next morning, over breakfast, he asked me why Pittsfield hates success. Out of the mouths of babes.

[Bagelbom]

Wider North Street sidewalks? HUH? Why on Earth does North Street need wider sidewalks? Because of the fat-as..s.es that walk around them? How about taking away half the sidewalks and reconfiguring some extra parking spaces somehow? When have you ever seen North Street too crowded that you said, "hmmmm we could sure use wider sidewalks here..." Uh yeah, that's what North Street needs to attract people.

I can tell you this: No one is going to make a North Street movie theater a destination in the middle of winter when they have to park a mile away and walk [down the apparently too narrow sidewalk] to the movies.

Furthermore, there is an entire block of empty storefront RIGHT ACROSS from that building, why not try and use up what we already have free before creating more empty space on North Street.

I'll tell you what North Street needs: Get Ad-Lib, the Juvenile Court, and all the bottom-feeder social service agencies AWAY from Downtown. Yeah, they're nice, they're helpful and they are needed. But they aren't needed in the center of town where you are trying to attract people who are not criminals, not mentally challenged and actually have their own money to spend.

It's harsh but it's honest. You drive down North Street and you see gobs of "challenged" people. Or crackheads. Or drunks. And they all congregrate together, like big challenged gangs, claiming their turf, and seriously discouraging other non-challenged people from accessing their territory (north street).

If you want yuppies, and professionals and youthful potential to visit and frequent downtown Pittsfield, make it desirable. Which means getting rid of the UN-desirable people. I have been to many cities, towns and other countries and Pittsfield is the one and only place I have ever seen such a disproportionate number of challenged people. It's really just sad.

[Ramdan]

Bagelbom wrote:

Wider North Street sidewalks? HUH? Why on Earth does North Street need wider sidewalks? Because of the fat-as..s.es that walk around them? How about taking away half the sidewalks and reconfiguring some extra parking spaces somehow? When have you ever seen North Street too crowded that you said, "hmmmm we could sure use wider sidewalks here..." Uh yeah, that's what North Street needs to attract people.
I can tell you this: No one is going to make a North Street movie theater a destination in the middle of winter when they have to park a mile away and walk [down the apparently too narrow sidewalk] to the movies.
Furthermore, there is an entire block of empty storefront RIGHT ACROSS from that building, why not try and use up what we already have free before creating more empty space on North Street.
I'll tell you what North Street needs: Get Ad-Lib, the Juvenile Court, and all the bottom-feeder social service agencies AWAY from Downtown. Yeah, they're nice, they're helpful and they are needed. But they aren't needed in the center of town where you are trying to attract people who are not criminals, not mentally challenged and actually have their own money to spend.
It's harsh but it's honest. You drive down North Street and you see gobs of "challenged" people. Or crackheads. Or drunks. And they all congregrate together, like big challenged gangs, claiming their turf, and seriously discouraging other non-challenged people from accessing their territory (north street).
If you want yuppies, and professionals and youthful potential to visit and frequent downtown Pittsfield, make it desirable. Which means getting rid of the UN-desirable people. I have been to many cities, towns and other countries and Pittsfield is the one and only place I have ever seen such a disproportionate number of challenged people. It's really just sad.

You never did tell me what a Bagelbom is,please share.

[One more time folks]

First of all this "movie house" is just a front for a big condo project. They are calling it a movie house in order to get all the free financial backing and tax credits. Once it is built the owners will say, "aw shucks it failed, guess we should retrofit it to condos." And coincidently it will have been designed so that the conversion is easy....almost like it was anticipated. Why are we taxpayers funding someone elses private building of "office space" and "retail space"? It is a shell game...smoke and mirrors at its political best. And it could not be done without the help of the corner office so you can let your imagination run wild on this one.