Theater’s fans upset at demolition plan

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By GWEN TIETGEN / Lincoln Journal Star

As news spread of the possibility of razing a cheap downtown movie theater Monday, reaction from Lincoln families and college students echoed with disappointment.

“That sucks,” said Kate Silvers, 20, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore, as she sat down to eat at Burger King in the Nebraska Union with three friends.

Lincoln Mayor Coleen Seng announced plans Monday to convert the Star Ship 9 theater, Taste of China restaurant and Wasabi!, a Japanese and international grill, into a new downtown parking garage topped with a high-rise building.

The new building, which could be up to 25 stories, could potentially be used for housing, offices or a hotel. The plans mirror those for that area as set forth in the city’s Downtown Master Plan.

The Lincoln City Council still needs to approve the plan. If the council agrees, the Star Ship 9 would close in June, when the city purchases the property for $2.1 million.

“As a college student that’s where I get a lot of my entertainment because it’s cheap,” Silvers said.

Silvers said the other theaters offer $2 off the regular admission for college students, “but that’s three Star Ships” at $2 a ticket. Renting movies cannot compare, she said.

“It’s cheaper than renting a movie and you get the atmosphere,” she said.

Deby Beck said the Star Ship 9 is the place her family can go out, see a movie and not break the bank.

“If they put a (second-run) theater somewhere else, it would be OK,” she said.

The theater’s owner, Douglas Theatre Co., is looking for a place to build a replacement for Starship 9, which continues to draw between 4,000 and 5,000 people a week, said Douglas President Dave Livingston.

“We hate not to replace that opportunity with another opportunity,” Livingston said.

However, Livingston said, he also has to consider the future of second-run theaters as the window between a movie’s theatrical release and its release on DVD has been steadily shrinking over the past few years.

Brandon Barrett, 24, who works downtown at Lincoln Running Co., said when he drives downtown, he can usually find some parking spot, either by circling several blocks and walking or being willing to suck up the parking garage fees.

As a college student, Barrett said he would hate to see Star Ship 9 close.

“It’s kind of like an icon in downtown Lincoln,” he said.

But, Barrett added, “Another parking garage might be nice.”

Reach Gwen Tietgen at 473-7242 or gtietgen@journalstar.com.