Cinemark will reopen Century Aurora 16, letter to mayor says

The neon lights at Century Aurora 16 were dimmed Friday night, but they won't be off for long.

Cinemark, based in Plano, Texas, said Friday that the theater complex, where 12 people were killed and 58 others were injured, will be renovated and reopened, perhaps by the end of the year.

Cinemark president Tim Warner said in a letter to Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan that "it will be our privilege to reopen the theater. We pledge to reconfigure the space and make the theater better than ever."

Warner's letter was in response to correspondence sent last week by Hogan that said the city had gathered input from the community about what should be done with the site of the July 20 shooting, which took place during a sold-out

showing of "The Dark Knight Rises."

"We believe that we are hearing, and indeed have heard for some time, a collective wish and desire for the theater to reopen," Hogan wrote.

Aurora conducted an online survey in late August asking for community input on the future of the theater, and officials had said they would submit the comments to Cinemark.

The company declined further comment Friday about the reconstruction and did not offer a specific date for when it would reopen.

Warner said in his letter that the company hopes "the theater will be ready by the beginning of the New Year."

In the two months since its doors closed, neon lights adorning the outside of the complex have remained on ? to the chagrin of some of the victims and their families ? but have now been shut off until the theater reopens.

Business considerations probably played a big role in deciding whether the 16-screen theater should reopen.

During the weekend after the shooting, box-office revenues declined 65 to 90 percent at all theaters in Aurora. But in the following weekend ? even as Century Aurora 16 remained closed ? box-office revenues rebounded by about 90 percent in Aurora's six remaining movie theaters.

Karie Bible, a box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations in Los Angeles, said the exact timing of when Century Aurora 16 reopens could influence ticket sales.

Bible said box-office revenues typically increase beginning in October, as Oscar-caliber films begin to premiere. The increases usually continue through the end of the year.

Throughout this whole ordeal, officials with Cinemark and the city of Aurora have stressed condolences and well wishes to the families of victims killed and those who continue to recover.

Greg Medek, whose 23-year-old daughter, Micayla, was killed in the theater shooting, said he initially thought the building should be razed.

"But now, if they want to keep it open, a portion of the profits each quarter should go toward the victims affected by this shooting," he said. "There's going to be ongoing psychological and physical costs that will last a lifetime. I think it's fair."

On Thursday, volunteers and Aurora city staffers removed a makeshift memorial that had been constructed across from the theater in the days after the shooting.

In a statement Friday, Hogan said the theater has been a valued part of the community for many years.

"I am confident Cinemark will continue to remain sensitive to victims, their families, their employees and our community throughout their process of remodeling and reopening," he said.

Staff writer Jordan Steffen contributed to this report.

Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kurtisalee

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21601901/cinemark-will-reopen-century-aurora-16-letter-mayor?source=rss

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