The Theatre employees first heard rumors of the closing over two years ago.
When University Square Mall is demolished and University Square Theatres closes, UW-Madison will lose a vital part of its culture, said employees. The date of this closing has been tentatively set for August 2006.
According to theater managers Joe Anderson and Rachel Kohtala, the building is an old, outdated facility.
Building plans for the new facility include two levels of underground parking, two floors of retail space and approximately 10 floors of residential space, slated for completion in the fall of 2008. However, no plans exist for replacement movie theater space.
\The campus area is in need of a theater,"" Anderson said.
University Square Theatres is privately run but often involved in University events, such as Wisconsin Welcome activities.
""We would love to get involved again after the building's torn down and rebuilt,"" Kohtala said.
Anderson predicts that there will be a demand for a theater that caters to students. ""The owner keeps the students in mind. Every decision that's made is with them in mind,"" Anderson said.
The theater makes no profit on ticket sales, as over 90 percent of revenue generated by the sales goes to the movie companies, the studios and the distributors, Anderson added. The sales from concessions help to balance the scales.
Marcus Theatres owns a majority of other nearby theaters and has no plans to offer student discounts after University Square is gone. Any decisions regarding said discounts would be up to the corporate managers, a representative of Marcus Theatres said.
Marcus Theatre representatives said they ""would not be interested in"" the midnight movie showings University Square offers.
The lowest price a Marcus Theatre charges, $3.00, can be offered at Southtown Value for second-run films.
University Square is still a profitable enterprise and Anderson and Kohtala expressed regrets over its impending close.
""Yeah, it's sad??-it's sad for campus and really sad if there's not a new place factored into the new building,"" Anderson added.
Once University Square is gone, the closest theater will be the Frederich March play circle at the Memorial Union. Susan Dibbell, Assistant Director of Social Education for the Wisconsin Union, said that at this time no specifics regarding any changes in the film department of the Wisconsin Union Directorate are known.
The WUD and the Film Committee began research last year that would delve into the wants and needs of students in regard to films, showings and need for expansion. Robin Schmoldt, the Film and Arts Advisor of the WUD said, ""We engage in research to make sure we know what students want.""
