An opinion submitted by Tony Crawford
I have heard, as I am sure many have, that the Island Cinema may close due the new multiplex which in planned for Yulee.
Think about the economic impact that this would have on the City. The closing of the theater would be a kind of ” end of an era” for Fernandina Beach. Think about our tourists. Where would they go on a rainy day, Yulee? Where will they eat before or after a show, Yulee? Where will we go to eat before or after a show, Yulee? Where will our students be driving to should they want to see a show, Yulee? And where would parents be driving their kids to and from to see a show, Yulee?
Please don’t think this is against Yulee, they will in the end have a state of the art complex. My concern is what happens to our restaurants and local establishments and how will our tourist trade feel about visiting the island and spending the day at the beach and at night have to drive off island to see a show?
What can be done to prevent this. Not too much in actuality. I called Carmike Cinema’s home office in Columbus, Ga. Mr. Fred Vannoy, the C.O.O. of Carmike was kind enough to take my call and explain the rumors and give me some insight on this issue.
As of our conversation the closing is not official. The decision has yet to be made. Mr. Vannoy is well aware of the negative impact this would have on the City and our community, and is very sympathic with our concerns. In real life the bottom line, as in most business boils down to dollars & cents. Sad, but true.
I spoke to our Commissioners and the City Manager about these issues. They reacted in a quick and positive way. The City has sent a letter to Mr. Vannoy expressing our wishes to have them stay on the island and continue serving our community.
I wish I had an answer to this problem. The best I can hope for is that we write letters to Carmike as private citizens expressing our desire to have the cinema stay on the island. Will it help? I know it won’t hurt. I also know that it could help totip the scales in our favor.
The last thing the City needs is another empty store front. This will become another scar plainly visible to all. I My hope it that enough locals write Carmike and show there support. Once it is closed it will be too late. Please should you feel strongly about this, take the time to write them.
PO Box 391
Columbus, GA 31901
Att: Mr. Vannoy
or
Editor’s note: Tony Crawford moved to Fernandina Beach from New York fourteen years ago. An avid city watcher, Tony finds watching local government at work, interesting, comical, and sad.
February 6, 2014 4:55 p.m.
Thanks Tony for a great article. Who knew?
That would be terrible if the movie theatre closed! I’ll write to Mr. Vannoy and I encourage everyone to send him a note as well.
My wife and I are avid movie goers and would hate to lose our home theatre. I would accept a price increase for tickets rather than leave the island and will probably reduce the frequency of attendance if we lose our theatre. Pay per view at home is not bad but the popcorn is not near as good.
I think it would be very sad indeed to see the cinema on the island close. I have had a home on the island for years and vacationed on the island since I was a child. Over the the years I have gradually seen activities for young people slowly but surely disappear, waterslide, putt putt, things that colored my childhood with wonderful memories. The island is becoming more and more of a retirement community and there is nothing wrong with retires. But a community that attracts and entertains people of all ages is so much richer and interesting to me. A cinema is great entertainment for all ages. If it closes, that will be a major milestone for Fernandina in my opinion and not a good milestone. The best way to help it stay open is to be a patron. Grab some popcorn and enjoy a good movie!
Very valid points regarding the economics of what will happen if the Cinama is closed on the Island. Like so many other businesses that have recently closed down it leaves huge empty spaces. The biggest problems I see and hear is the rising cost of overhead for business owner’s located within city limits. The overload of impact fees, taxes, ordinance’s changing constantly leaves very little room for profits between the building owner’s and the leasor. Carmike has already once renovated and it’s badly in need for another renovation to keep up with the competition. I strongly agree though keeping it open for locals and tourism should be a priority that local government perhaps needs to examine incentives to keep businesses open and bring new businesses on board. I am a native but not an Islander who always supported local shopping and entertainment. It’s about community and speaking up otherwise we lose.
Do we need a “Friends of Island Cinema 7” to demonstrate our interest in keeping Carmike on the Island?
Great response!!!
I once again spoke to Mr. Vannoy from Carmike and he suggested all those who feel strongly about this contact them via e mail. He promised these suggestions would be viewed by the board . Please take a moment and contact them. It will only help.
http://www.carmike.com
>go to contacts
>choose city/state
>choose theater.
>drop down will give a place for your comments
Great that so many are getting involved.
well for one thing we do have a puttputt its on sadler rd. and who needs a water park when we have the whole atlantic ocean and as far as a movie theatre well that whole idea is wrong i heard that the movie theatre had some health violations read amelia isl blogs . so i think it would be a good idea if we had a movieplex out here the island aint what it used to be years ago nothing is its called progress.
WOW,—— hard to argue with that thinking—–but
Putt Putt is great if you want to play putt putt. The ocean is great if you want to swim. Both those activities are also great fun when it rains and its cold. The only problem is if you want to see a movie, putt putt and the ocean just won’t cut it. Rain or shine.
I assume Lola is saying she wants a movie theater in Yulee. Fact is she is getting one.
What we are trying to do is also keep the one we have on the island. Why? Simple– to keep business here. That would be progress. Closing it would be regression.
Well Well. I for one, and maybe many, do not look forward to a theater complex in Yulee for a couple of reasons. The first being that I really enjoy the theater in Fernandina. It is clean, nice seats, roomy, and lacks the exact reason why I wouldn’t like a theater in Yulee, a mass babysitting center for parents who don’t want their kids at home or care where they are or what they are doing. Malls have failed all over the US due to the being the “hang out” for teens, pre-teens, and the criminal element that takes advantaged of them. Mobs, like the one at River City Marketplace in December 2013, will find the theater in Yulee and all the local people will just stop going to the movies. As we all know, progress is the result of a few chasing the dollar from afar and seldom live the repercussions of their decisions. I for one do not go to any theater other that Amelia Island 7 and if a new one appears in Yulee, I will not go to that one either. Just remember, we have no malls in Yulee/Fernandina and this new theater will be nothing more than a “hang out” that will keep locals away and be another problem for the Nassau County Sheriffs Office to deal with.
Randy, Well put, thanks. Lets keep the e mails going to Carmike. All we can do is let them know as a community how we feel and hope for the best.
Thank you
First of all let me say that I do not want to lose a theatre on the Island. But let’s look at the positive side. Presently, if you want to see a picture on a big screen you have to drive to River City. Do you have to eat at River City? I don’t. With a theatre in Yulee there is a shorter drive and you save time and gas. And you can still eat at home or in local restaurants keeping the business local. Additional, there will be a increase in real property taxes to the County and no loss of taxes paid by the current theatre strip center. And finally, it is possible that the local theatre could become more like the Sun Ray theatre in Jax Five Points serving food and showing current movies, classics, foreign films, documentaries and Oscar nominated shorts.
It may turn out to be a plus for us if we work on the last point.
Would be wonderful if such a theater like the one in Five points could take over. I actually don’t see any positive side to a business moving out of the City. At the end of the day Yulee will have a multi-plex and if you wish to go to see a big screen you can. The problem is this just becomes another nail in the coffin in Fernandina. I know tourists aren’t going to be pleased to drive off island on a raining day or after a sunny day on the beach to see a movie. I can only speak for myself and maybe for the many I have spoken with concerning this issue. The very last thing most want to do is drive to Yulee to see a movie. I also feel that once you leave the island there are many who will eat at the local restaurants that are springing up over the bridge.
Our goal should be to keep as many locals, tourists and dollars on this side of the bridge.
Thanks Tony for once more alerting us to trouble in Fernandina; and for going way out of your way to try to make things better for the Island, and all of us who live here year round. All of your comments are valid. It was very smart of you to give us the web site and instructions on how to use it.Our comments have been sent and I hope everyone will speak up so we can save our local movie house. Maybe we should print hand outs and distribute them in front of the movie house. We can take turns giving them out. The hand out can have the instructions as to how to contact the owners.
As a visitor to the island for 13+ years, It would be sad to not have a theater close by to visit on those rainy days we have all shared on the island. Tony brings up some great points (As he always does) that should be taken seriously buy the city and those that run it.
I grew up in Fernandina Beach and moved to Yulee nearly 20 years ago. Although I am VERY pleased to see a big new theater coming out here, I DO hope Carmike sees fit to keep the theater open on the island. Walmart was able to keep its island store when it opened its big one out here. I hope the numbers add up enough for Carmike to do the same. Seems they would have plenty of support on the island itself. And out here they will be competing with River City, Regency and even St Marys, Ga., but they would still be “the only game in town” if they keep the Fernandina theater open too!
While sad that the theatre is closing it is a matter of earning a return for investors…plain and simple. That is the job of management. I lived on the island for years. Island people liken driving to Yulee to crossing the Atlantic. There is little to do on the island anymore anyway. It is a tourist economy and if that ever goes away it will be more like Hilton Head where only residents have access to the beaches. Too bad you have to drive over the bridge. It may broaden your perspectives for a change.
I have a FB zip code but reside in Yulee, basically – go figure. I’m right by the theatre actually. I’ve been down here going on eight years and have seen big changes in that time frame. I’m from Chicago and the mind set is quite different here. I did attend a movie on the island once and was less than impressed. The theatre was dirty, outdated, small and had bad seats. You can’t compete with other venues if you don’t keep up the one you run. I think that’s the problem with most of the island, that I don’t frequent anymore. Few businesses seem to care about their places. I understand the weather conditions take a toll on things but, paint, clean, keep it up please. I know it’s “casual” down here but that doesn’t equal sloppy and careless. The teachers even wear jeans and t-shirts to school. I’ve not seen that before in my experience. The island as a whole has to straighten up, care and have some self pride and the business will come, but I don’t think it will happen. Sad. I say, you go Yulee, you seem to have the motivation FB lacks.