Getting set for a little MOVIE MAGIC

The Canby Cinema 8 will open this Friday night

  • Published: 10/26/2009 12:30:58 PM
Photo By: Ray HugheyUp it goes
The sign for the Canby Cinema 8 theater goes into place. A dedication and ribbon-cutting event will be held Friday evening at the theater.
At last, movies on the big screen in Canby are close to reality.

Canby Cinema 8, the city of Canby and Canby Urban Renewal Agency will celebrate the opening of Canby’s new theater on Friday, Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m. with a public dedication of the Northeast Second Avenue and public parking lot project followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the cinema.

The public-private partnership project has been in the works for three-and-a-half years as a revitalization project for Canby’s historic downtown. The Canby Urban Renewal Agency has invested $1.9 million in a new streetscape and a 150-space public parking lot that will serve the downtown area.

The city received land donations from the Cutsforth family and a gift from the Klohe estate, which helped toward the parking lot project. Second Avenue waGot a News Tip?s redesigned as a “green street” with storm water treatment through rain gardens and low energy lighting throughout the street and parking lot.

The project will include a Klohe memorial fountain at the Northeast Third Avenue entrance.
The city will also place a four-foot wide bronze medallion depicting “Canby the Garden Spot” at the Second Avenue entrance to the parking lot.

“Across the nation, downtown cores struggle to stay alive and not lose the heart of their history,” said Mayor Melody Thompson. “Thanks to our partners, this project is a signal of our confidence in and commitment to downtown Canby. The best kinds of investments are those that create employment and encourage business to reinvest in the community and its people. And in that regard, we believe this investment will yield substantially positive returns for our community and its citizens in the years ahead.”

Former Urban Renewal Agency Chairman Tony Helbling offered his thought, saying, “This is a great example of a public-private partnership. Much credit goes to Chuck Nakvasil for choosing to invest in Canby as well as the Cutsforth family for their generous support of this project.

“The new theater is going to help revitalize our downtown core and even better, give Canby’s youth a great place to go, staying right here in town,” Helbling continued. “That helps keep teens safe because to go to a movie before, they didn’t just go five miles away to Wilsonville; they had to drive 55 miles per hour away to another town. Reducing this driving risk, keeping money here in town and revitalizing the downtown all add up to a great success for this community.”

Nakvasil, owner of Cinemagic Theatres LLC, has invested $5.5 million in development of the eight-plex family movie theater.

He currently owns several theaters in the Portland area, including a new seven-plex theater in Scappoose. He said he is excited to be part of the Canby community.

“This cinema will feature the latest state-of-the-art motion picture equipment for a high quality entertainment experience at affordable prices,” Nakvasil said.

Scott Hicks, owner of American Cinema Equipment, said “This is one of the most appealing architecturally drawn theaters I’ve seen in years.”

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E.L. from Canby
10/27/2009 9:27:49 AM

Thank you City of Canby for allowing a movie theatre by my house. Canby is the only city that has put in a theatre in a residental area. With the lights in the parking lot I sleep a whole lot better with my bedroom lit.up and soon with head lights it will fully light up the room!




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