With the Market Arcade Cinema closing Thursday night, City Hall is rushing to appoint a new operator.
The seven-screen facility has had few upgrades in the decades it's been operating in the Theater District. It was opened as a commercial multiplex. The city took control 14 years ago over by the city and assigned it to a non-profit which hired Dipson Theatres to book the movies.
To continue competing in the modern marketplace, digital projectors would need to be added at a reported cost of $400,000.
The Mayor's office has received four expressions of interest to take over; actual proposals are due on Friday.
"This is a great opportunity and it speaks again to the strength of Downtown at this point in time," said Brendan Mehaffy, the city's Strategic Planning Executive Director.
"I don't know that we could have issued this request for proposals even five years ago and received a single response. Here, we have a number of solid proposals that we are expecting on Friday which is a reflection of not just that site, but everything that's happening in downtown Buffalo."
One room will remain open for the stage shows of Road Less Traveled Productions.
