BIG RAPIDS — After years without a movie theater, plans are in the works to bring one back to Big Rapids.
It’s something people there have been wanting for years. The old AMC movie theater shut down during Covid and has been sitting empty until now.
The owner of a movie theater in Grayling has stepped up and bought it, with big plans to renovate.
Jordan Stancil knows a thing or two about movie theaters. He’s the owner of the Rialto Theater in Grayling, a business that has been in his family since 1915.
Still he said it will take a lot of work to renovate.
“Big Rapids should have a movie theater. It’s kind of a miss. Almost like a mistake that Big Rapids doesn’t. Most markets in Michigan this size, they pretty much all have theaters,” said Stancil.
“When I took over and bought it and came in here, I was shocked to see the dilapidated state of it. You have leaking and water damage all over the place. The chairs are dirty. you know, it wasn’t taken care of,” said Stancil.
Stancil said he hopes to model the prices after The Rialto. Investing in a quality place with lower admission prices, that’s something he said the big chains lack.
“What they’ve gotten into is this model that it’s supposed to be a splurge. You go there once a year and spend $100. I don’t want you to come and spend $100 one time. I want you to come and spend $10, 10 times, you know, then you can go to the movies more,” said Stancil.
Big Rapids Mayor Fred Guenther said it’s a big deal bringing the theater back. The city has tried for years.
“We’ve had many different developers. Nothing panned out. It’s huge to bring people downtown. They’re excited. The number one thing I was asked for during my campaign four years ago was, could you please get a movie theater here,” said Guenther.
Guenther said the city bought the movie theatre parking lot and with plans to make the eyesore into public space with a community garden..
“I would like to see it be a place where families could go and sit and wait for the movie. They could do ping pong tables out of concrete, all kinds of things for families to do here in town,” said Guenther.
City manager Mark Gifford said it’s been difficult to secure a deal with their market size-some companies wouldn’t even consider them.
“It has been a real disappointment for the community for many years. We have no movie theater within 40, 50 miles,” said Gifford.
He said he is excited to have a movie theater back in town.
“Our market size to some of the big companies, they don’t even look at us. So it really required somebody like Jordan who had a vision for operating in small town movie theaters to really even take this risk.
Stancil said he has no exact date for the opening of the new theater. It’s in the early stages. It could possibly open next summer but it’s too soon to know for sure.