SAGINAW (WJRT) -
(03/11/13) - For nearly 40 years, it's been the site of first dates and family nights out.
Now a historic Saginaw County movie theater will be torn down and given a modern makeover.
The Saginaw 12 movie theater is just off Tittabawassee and Bay Roads. It has been around since 1974.
The CEO of Goodrich Quality Theaters says a new building is well overdue.
For nearly a year, there has been talk about tearing the movie theater down and building a new one.
Developers say it's going to be bigger and better than the current one.
Some movie goers who have been coming there all of their life don't like the idea.
"It's been here for quite sometime and I really don't feel like they need to tear it down because I personally really like it and my parents have gone here since they were little and I feel like it doesn't need to change," said Taylor Gaudreau.
The site plan calls for a nearly 50,000 square foot theater. Developers say this will only be an attraction to customers. That means more money will go into the local economy.
"We've been working hard with our neighbors of Saginaw Township to make sure that our business district is quite the destination within the region and obviously a state of the art movie theater goes a long way in helping that, means it will be an attraction for visitors," said Steve King, director of the Downtown Development Authority.
"It will be 10 screens, 10,000 square foot about larger than the old theater, yet two screens less, means bigger screens, bigger rooms, wider chairs. Rocking chairs. The sound systems will be better than they were in the past and all digital systems on the screen," said Martin Betz, CEO of Goodrich Quality Theaters.
Some people who come there on a regular don't mind the idea of replacing this building with a new one.
"I don't see anything wrong with the one that's here, but if they want to modernize it more or something, bigger screens or something like that, I don't see anything wrong with it," said Jack Derosa.
The new building will stand just to the north of where the current one is.
The project should get started next month.
