Two CBD cinemas get stay of execution

Photo / Thinkstock

Two cinemas in Hamilton's CBD will stay open through the Christmas period, despite initial plans to close them.

Event Cinemas has delayed plans to close its Centreplace cinema on Sunday after signing a lease with the mall owner until the end of January.

Victoria Cinema at the north end of Victoria St will also reopen in December under a three-month trial.

Lido owner Richard Dalton said he agreed to a short-term lease until the end of March to try operating as a satellite branch of the three-screen cinema complex in Centreplace. The cinema was closed by previous owner Gary Potts at the end of October.

Mr Dalton plans to use staff from the Lido to man the cinema and expects to show three to five films seven days a week.

Event Cinemas general manager Carmen Switzer said delaying the closure by two months would enable people to enjoy holiday films such as Mission Impossible and Tin Tin for the lowest price in the city.

Ticket prices are $9 compared with $16 at Hoyts Te Rapa.

The 26 staff who were expecting to lose their jobs this month will continue on for another two months.

Mark Luker, general manager of development for Kiwi Income Property Trust, which owns Centreplace, said the extended lease gave more time to line up a new tenant.

He said Kiwi was in talks with operators in the hope of retaining a mainstream cinema in the CBD. The Herald previously reported Reading Cinemas was in advanced talks about taking over the tenancy next year.

Kiwi was focused on finding a new tenant, he said.