For those of us on the edge of our seats over the soap opera playing out between Columbia City Cinema (CCC) and the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund (RVCDF) – the organization tasked with boosting economic development in the area – RVCDF’s announcement that it plans to assist Seattle’s coolest neighborhood theater is the best bail-out news we’ve heard in a long time.
“It’s a big relief,” said CCC owner Paul Doyle. “The cinema has been playing catch-up and juggling construction and other debt from the beginning and this brings our bills up to date and frees money to acquire more first run films, which should in turn, significantly improve cash flow.”
The cinema is considered by many to be a major anchor for the Columbia City business district.
“The spill-over that the cinema creates for other area businesses was an important factor in our review of the loan in addition to our ability to restructure some of the debt,” said RVCDF Executive Director Martina Guilfoil. “Having a first-run movie theater is vital to Columbia City and the Rainier Valley. We applaud Paul’s effort to keep the theater operating and wanted the fund to be used to support this effort.”
Paul has been detailing the saga in his weekly newsletter.
“The ongoing drama of whether or not the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund will arrive like the cavalry at the last minute, build a bridge and ferry us across to safer ground, continues,” he wrote recently. “There are some tough conditions we have to meet but we are working on them. Stay tuned. Maybe there will be a Hollywood ending yet.”
Shortly thereafter: “It seems that RVCDF has had a change of heart and wants to find a way to help the cinema after all. Or else they always did and things got misconstrued. Anyway, hooray!”
According to Paul, Guilfoil, Chief Loan Officer Greg Anderson and Board Member Darryl Smith called a meeting recently and presented a new plan to help the struggling cinema through the current financial crisis.
“Local developers Pete Lamb and Rob Mohn were there to help and support the cinema,” said Paul. “It was a little like marriage counseling at first, but things cooled down and now it looks like we’re all going to live happily ever after. Thanks to all of you who wrote those sweet little email messages gently encouraging behavior modification. It helped turn the tide.”
There is simply no reason to spend your enetrtainment dollars outside the Rainier Valley when we’ve got such a lovely first-run joint right here in the ‘hood. Columbia City Cinema – located at Rainier Avenue South – really is Seattle’s coolest neighborhood theater. Photo/do communications, inc.
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Great outcome – lets all show our support! This is a great amenity for the South End.
Sounds great – I think the Soloist is playing this weekend. Hey, the Tom person sounds cute – would you like to meet at the movie?
So glad the RVCDF found the inspiration to take a second look at a loan for the Columbia City Cinema. It’s the only movie theater in a community of 80,000 people. The Columbia City Cinema is a resource we cannot afford to lose.
Let’s hope the RVCDF will look for other private-sector funding opportunities in the future. After all, the fund was intended to support business development in the Rainier Valley and we’ve seen too many businesses close and leave the community in the last decade. Let’s get those dollars out into the community and growing some new businesses!
“The spill-over that the cinema creates for other area businesses was an important factor in our review of the loan…”
Thank God for business-savvy, cool-headed, data-driven individuals such as Pete Lamb and Rob Mohn — if it weren’t for these two guys, Columbia City would still be wallowing in crime and destitution.
Now the local business development groups needs to get serious about attracting additional private venture capitalists, since 1) this venture has yet to prove profitable, and 2) Mr. Lamb and Mr. Mohn may not always be there to save the day.
“A good neighbor” said: ” Now the local business development groups needs to get serious about attracting additional private venture capitalists..”
What “local business development groups” are you referring to? The Rainier Chamber of Commerce Board is dominated by representatives of non-profit groups, including the President of the Board of Directors. The Rainier Chamber of commerce hasn’t had pro-active leadership for several years. The Rainier Chamber is not the powerful voice of the community that it once was. Advocacy on behalf of business appears no longer to be a priority of the Rainier Chamber in recent years. Where is their business retention plan? Do they offer assistance to struggling businesses? Where is their campaign to promote local businesses to local residents? What about a campaign to promote local businesses to other communities beyond the Rainier Valley?
The Columbia City Business Association is focused inward, more worried about litter and garbage collection than attracting new business to Columbia City. Their latest initiative was to create a local improvement district that can assess fees on Columbia City property owners for street improvements. Assessing fees on property owners during the worst economic climate in about 80 years doesn’t sound like a good idea to me? Besides, where is the city money for street improvements? City leaders have voted to spend over $240 million dollars to benefit South Lake Union but they can’t spend a few thousand in Columbia City? What’s wrong with this picture? Why isn’t the CCBA pointing out the double standard and seeking city money rather than pursuing local property owners for nickels and dimes?
The city’s Office of Economic Development has no special plan for to encourage economic development in the Rainier Valley. The city has special incentives for housing developers but nothing to help stimulate jobs and business in the most fragile community in the city. The Office of Economic Development seems to have little interest in the economic health of southeast Seattle. On the flip side, the Office of Housing LOVES southeast Seattle. They have endless plans to steer more social services and homeless housing here.
About 50 businesses have either closed or moved away from the Rainier Valley since the light rail began construction. Even prosperous (looking) Columbia City has lost some businesses and more may close as a result of the economic downturn. Is anybody paying attention? Is anybody doing anything about it?
It seems the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund IS the only business development agency in the Rainier Valley. Their mission is to help existing businesses to survive the impact of light rail and to encourage and support new business development in the future. Pray tell, what other group should be more focused on business development than the RVCDF? What is the RVCDF plan to preserve existing businesses and promte new business here? Is there a marketing campaign? Is RVCDF lobbying the city for economic stimulus money? What about lobbying the city to re-focus Block Grant monies toward economic development rather than social services housing –the city’s current priority? Does the RVCDF have an ‘action plan’ for southeast Seattle business as the recession deepens?
(BTW, claiming that 80% of businesses survived light rail construction is unimpressive. That simply means that 20% of businesses did NOT survive).
That’s great news. Thanks for stepping up.
Wow – this earlier comment is on the mark. I know of a community participant that recently went to the update the neighborhood plan meeting. They were dissappointed since the collective comments of the group to attract more businesses with better paying jobs and education for better training to create a green tech or high tech around North Rainier Valley was not captured. Another person followed up with the city office for economic development and the person was told that creating affordable housing was the focus for SE Seattle and that the Ross store will create jobs. I’m not sure how a retail job pays better …than say a green tech or high tech job? I think that having UofW put an extension campus in Rainier Valley or attracting a few greentech employers would serve RV better in the long run.
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