Shoregate Cinema I & II
29430 Lakeshore Boulevard,
Willowick,
OH
44095
29430 Lakeshore Boulevard,
Willowick,
OH
44095
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This was opened by General Cinema on November 14th, 1967 and reopened as a twin cinema on June 27th, 1973. Grand opening ads posted.
The Shoregate Shopping Center was opened theatre-less in 1954. In November of 1963, this project was announced as a $125,000 900-seat venue for the Broumas Theatre Circuit which was designing new shopping center theaters primarily in Ohio, Viriginia, and Maryland. It was said to be the final phase of Shoregate’s expansion. It was to be the 45th theatre for the circuit which had plans for new roadshow theatres in Youngstown, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Broumas would end up in bankruptcy in early 1967.
This opened on November 14th, 1967 along with the Parmatown Cinemas.
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Parmatown was the first twin theatre in the Cleveland area, Chapel Hill in Akron was the first twin theatre in Ohio. Southgate was built as a 12 or 1300 seat single screen. About 1971, at the same time the Westgate Cinema City under construction Southgate Cinema II with about 600 seats was built in the alley between the large cinema and the Cleveland Trust. The alley originally contained the auto-teller for the bank. The original auditorium was not divided until the early 1980s. The regional vp over the Cleveland division mgr. had been the opening manager of the Southgate Cinema, and as long as he was in charge of the area would nix any plans to divide that large theatre. Once he was switched to oversee the west coast instead of the midwest, the Southgate #1 was split.
The Shoregate Cinema has plenty of competition, but all of it consisted of older theatres: the first run Lake, and second run Shore in Euclid and the Vine in Willoughby, initially. Still, people would occasionally go to the Richmond, Mayland, Richmond Mall, Center-Mayfield, and LaSalle, among others to see films. The coming of bigger cineplexes like the one at Great Lakes Mall, the second generation Lake, the expanded Loew’s Richmond mall, etc. created new competition, along with the dollar houses like the LaSalle.
The shopping center was already there when the theatre was built. The theatre was part of an expansion that included Uncle Bill’s (later Cook’s/Hill’s), Kurtz Furniture, and a strip of small stores constructed in front of an existing bowling alley. I’ve never gotten confirmation of the “never had potential” story. The theatre did well in its early years—-I grew-up within walking distance. Shoregate and Parmatown were both owned by Forest City. General Cinema opened its first Cleveland area theatre at Southgate around 1964—it was the first twin theatre (other than a drive-in).
I went to the first movie ever at the Shoregate Cinema. It was Cool Hand Luke and they charged $.75 to get in
The buiding is being razed. Half of the Shoregate Shopping Center including the old Uncle Bills, the bowling alley and the Cinema are being demolished. A sign out front indicates that the land will be used for condominiums. The other half of the srip will be called Shoregate Town Center.
What are they replacing it with? Is the building being knocked down, or just the interior being ripped out and reconfigured for some other use? The Parmatown Cinema, mentioned above and opening at the same time, is also being gutted, along with several ajoining stores, to be reconfigured into a sporting goods store.
The theater is currently being demolished.
Please update address to 29430 Lakeshore Blvd.
SHOREGATE CINEMA (GC unit #387)
29430 Lakeshore Boulevard
Willowick, Ohio 44094
Opened 11/15/1967 – William Riseman Associates, Arcitects – Single screen cinema – aprx 1000 seats – divided in half aprx 1972 – closed mid 1980s – now used as performing arts center. This theatre never had potential from the begiinning and was only built as part of a deal where the landlord was building a shopping center and wanted a theatre, but no operator wanted the site. At the same time the same landlord was building the Parmatown Mall,
General Cinema wanted that site because it DID have potential, and in order to get it they had to take this site also. In this theatre though the business was a partnership with the landlord and GCC, and GCC was the managing partner.