Remember when we said the Warren Old Town may reopen? Here’s what’s finally happening

Earlier this year, Boulevard Theatres co-owner Tyler Cooper said he and business partner Ryan Blasdel couldn’t comment on whether they were buying the Warren Old Town.

Now, they can.

The two, along with some silent financial backers, have purchased the Old Town Square former seven-screen theater, which Regal Cinemas closed in 2023, and plan to reopen it in November.

“It will be primarily a first-run theater,” Cooper said.

That means mostly new releases.

“But it’ll have a little more character to it,” Cooper said.

That means independent releases and film festivals with cult favorites along with some limited-release films.

“We want to make sure we’re doing special things there,” Cooper said.

Like in the past, there will be concessions, including full meals.

However, there won’t be waiters to take in-theater orders. Customers will use an app to order from their seats, and then their food will be delivered.

There also will be alcohol, though Cooper said what kind is yet to be determined.

There also will be self-serve concessions in the lobby like the Boulevard at Towne West Square.

“We’ve had great success with that,” Cooper said.

He said the Towne West theater, which he and Blasdel opened in 2022, had a great summer and is doing fine overall.

“We’ve had a good year given the challenges that everyone knows so much about,” Cooper said.

He said he thinks the theater would do better if things were not so uncertain at the mall, such as with electricity that keeps getting cut off and employees who aren’t getting paid.

At the new theater, Cooper said, “We’re not going to have any problems paying the electric bill . . . Let’s say that.”

Cooper said it’s taken longer than expected both to get the deal done for the new theater and to go through the construction and permitting process.

He said it “took a lot of time to plan and get right” in part because “the place was struggling for maintenance.”

The theater, which Wichitan Bill Warren owned before selling his chain to Regal in 2017, opened in Old Town in 2003.

Cooper and Blasdel are still finalizing construction, so they can’t name an opening date just yet, but they expect it to be in November.

He said they’re looking forward to being downtown and working with businesses there.

“We’re really excited for downtown’s future,” Cooper said.

“We believe this is a critical point for downtown and Old Town, and we’re hoping to be a critical part of that.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2024 at 5:03 PM.