St. Paul approves loan to renovate Grandview, Highland theaters

St. Paul once had more than 100 movie theaters, but that was long ago. Now there are only two — the Grandview, on Grand Avenue, and the Highland at Cleveland Avenue and Ford Parkway, both owned by the Mann family.

That's why City Council members remain determined to keep the neighborhood theaters open, even if it means pouring thousands of dollars of public funding into their maintenance and renovation every few years.

On Wednesday they invested again, loaning the theaters $166,250 to help revamp their interiors with new seats, carpeting, drapes and concession stands.

The loan, which comes from the city's sales-tax revitalization (STAR) program for neighborhood capital-improvement projects, will be forgiven along with interest if the theaters are still open in 2023.

It also will be forgiven if either of two additional conditions occur: the theaters receive historic designation, which likely would increase the cost of their upkeep, or a 500-seat first-run theater opens in St. Paul, which could cut into their business.

One possible spot for a new theater is the former Ford assembly plant site, not far from the Highland Theater.

The loan is the second installment of a $333,750 Neighborhood STAR package that Council Member Chris Tolbert negotiated with the Manns to keep the theaters open. The money will help the owners pay for the renovation as well as roofing and plumbing work.

In 2004, when the Manns undertook a $432,000 project to renovate the theaters, the city kicked in a $213,000 forgivable loan and a $75,000 grant from the STAR program.

The Grandview and Highland, Tolbert said Wednesday, are "really true gems for creating that small town feel in the big city … With the STAR grant, we can ensure that those theaters can stay in the neighborhood for families to go to for a while to come."

While the funding helps extend the life of the theaters, historical preservationists were disappointed that the council didn't use the subsidy as leverage to shield the properties from bulldozers and make sure the Manns maintain the venues' 1930s-era art deco charm.

The council approved the loan on a 4-0 vote (with three absent), but without including proposed conditions from the Heritage Preservation Commission that the city review all changes made to the theaters and that the owners seek to have them designated as historic.

"I would encourage the council to seek protection for the buildings now instead of trying to avert a crisis down the road," said Jeff Lotz, a Macalester-Groveland resident who collected 154 names on a petition seeking historic designation for the theaters.

"As far as our customers are concerned, I think they would rather see our dollars spent in putting in comfortable chairs when they're attending the theater, as opposed to the last seven or eight feet of the top of the tower," he said.

Kevin Duchschere • 651-925-5035