Lighthouse Cinema

neris

Dont really know much about this particular place but just heard on the news its been closed down because rents been doubled from 100k up to 200k. So Dublin now has another vacant proeprty to add to the growing list. Are the landlords A): just thick, greedy and happy to have an empty building or : very optimistic that someone will come in and pay 200k a year in rent for their particular building

Shanannigan

the rent is a factor but they also have some debt accumulated.. it's a real shame. did i hear somewhere about a tesco wanting to get in there?

phasers

There's info here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056216124

It's a shame to see it go, the location was really poor though.

neris

Thanks for the info but what I was really getting at was the masive hike in rent and the what woudl seem to be a crap attitude from the landlord

phasers

That's Ireland for you. Makes no sense but that's how it is. Same reason a load of shops are pulling out of the Blanch centre this year.

DWCommuter

In the case of the Lighthouse, I believe the management knew the rent was to increase to 200K during the term of the lease. Poor patronage may have meant they couldn't make the rent. Personally it looks like the landlord has a tenant in mind which is why he or she was so determined not to negociate with the Lighthouse.

Toby Take a Bow

Yeah, apparently it was built into the clause that the rent would double. I think the management of The Lighthouse were annoyed because they agreed to the rent hike based on Smithfield being completely rejuvenated by now. Obviously the recession did away with that, and also did away with any customers they might have thought they might have attracted to the place. It was a beautiful cinema, wasn't just a copy of the IFI (in terms of film choice or atmosphere) but whenever I was there, it always seemed empty. And of course, more jobs lost. Awful.

Cathaoirleach

"Minister for Arts, Tourism and Culture Jimmy Deenihan said previously that the cinema might have to pay back the money to the State or alternatively he said a consortium involving the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board could run an art house cinema on the site."

smokiebeverage

I can't see anybody else going in there bar another cinema for two reasons, the planning permission is specifically granted for a cinema as part of the development and cinemas are built in a split floor arrangement to accommodate the projection area making them difficult to modify.

Twee.

Sad news, been there twice in the last month. It really is a fantastic space inside, you'd never know from the outside. I hope the building gets put to good use, as another cinema or as something else. Shame to let it go to a supermarket.

weldon

Does anybody know if this has closed its doors yet? or is it in a winding down phase and when will it shut completely?

It's sad to see it go and I'd like to visit it once again before it closes if possible.

Twee.

Closed already Walked by yesterday.

Dord

Twee. wrote: »

Sad news, been there twice in the last month. It really is a fantastic space inside, you'd never know from the outside. I hope the building gets put to good use, as another cinema or as something else. Shame to let it go to a supermarket.

It's not going to be a supermarket! There is a Tesco Express moving into the Market complex but it's moving into the ground floor of Block C. That's where "The Complex" was/is.

I-Shot-Jr

I could be wrong, but if I'm not mistaken is there not some stipulation in a contract or some for of planning permission or something (forgive my lack of details) that means that if the building is being used it has to be for an arthouse cinema of some sort? I'll try and find the link to the site I read that off.

Linky linky!
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0416/1224294798427.html

weldon

Thanks for the answer Twee. Unfortunate that it's gone. Everything down to it's unusually coloured seating gave it a bit of character that made it that bit more enjoyable compared to most of the other cinemas in the city.

Dandelion6

phasers wrote: »

It's a shame to see it go, the location was really poor though.

In any other city, it would be laughable that a location so close to the city centre and near a number of different public transport lines would be "really poor". The Lighthouse was in part a victim of Irish culture which can't conceive of going into town and straying outside the very centre.

Unfortunately I think the only thing that will change that culture is having a lot more places worth visiting in locations like this. In that respect the Lighthouse might just have been a bit before its time.

petronius

sad to see the lighthouse go - good for the off-beat films not on elsewhere
hopefully it can be re-opened...
sad a greedy landlord was a contributor.
Smithfield needs a good clean up the lighthouse was one of the reasons to go there.
Along with the cobblestone..

Dandelion6

I was speaking to the local management company guy a couple days ago and he confirmed that it will have to be another cinema going in there. What's not clear yet is what type of cinema it will be.

Also, the restaurant next door which closed down a couple months ago will be reopening under new ownership.

SteoL

Dandelion6 wrote: »

. What's not clear yet is what type of cinema it will be.

Jaysus will probably be a Porno theatre