Reports Sonoma 9 Cinemas in agreement with Fiesta Plaza

Sonoma moviegoers may continue to enjoy a local multiplex for the foreseeable future, according to sources.|

Sonoma moviegoers will enjoy access to a local multiplex for the foreseeable future, according to 1st District Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin and other sources. A new lease agreement has been reached between Sonoma 9 Cinemas operator David Corkill and the Fiesta Plaza shopping center owners.

When reached by email over the weekend, Gorin expressed her pleasure that negotiations were successful in keeping a local mainstream movie house.

“Many thanks should go to the community for so enthusiastically expressing support for keeping the theater in the Valley,” said Gorin. “But credit really goes to the property management and the theater owner for their flexibility and earnest negotiations to bring this to a successful conclusion.”

In January, the fate of the Sonoma 9 was looking more like a cliffhanger. Corkill and Fiesta Plaza were in negotiations over a new lease – and the cinema owner was saying the movie house needed hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations in order to modernize the facility. According to correspondence between Gorin and Fiesta investor Richard Upjohn at the time, Sonoma 9 was weighing whether to leave the shopping center altogether.

Over the past two months more than 500 people signed a petition, organized by Valley resident Liz Hart, called “Save Sonoma 9 Cinemas.” The group’s change.org petition site reported on April 30 that a deal had been reached to keep the theater in Sonoma.

“I am thrilled to announce that Cinema 9 (sic) theater in Sonoma has been saved,” said Hart on the site. “There will be upgrades coming and the lease is good and solid. There is still some future work in regard to making sure all permits are secured to do the work so I may be asking for support, but mostly today I wanted to share this news with all the supporters. We could not have saved this without your support.”

Whether the renovations will result in a temporary closure of the theater is still unclear but after the renovation is complete, according to Gorin, movie fans may even be able to enjoy the latest blockbuster with a glass of beer or wine in hand.

“Valley residents and visitors love access to first-run movies,” said Gorin. “And they will undoubtedly appreciate even more the renovated theater – and the ability to consume beer and wine on the premises to enrich their viewing experiences.” In specific terms, she said, “My office will be helping to facilitate obtaining the beer and wine license to keep the momentum moving.”

While the renovation-agreement specifics were not available, Corkill – whose Cinema West chain operates a handful of North Bay theaters – had reportedly asked the shopping center owners to cover as much as $400,000 of the overall renovation budget. According to earlier conversations with Upjohn, who lives in Tiburon, Cinema West was interested in broad facility improvements that would bring Sonoma 9 Cinemas on par with the new, state-of-the art Century Napa Valley Theater. Upjohn was traveling and not available for comment at press time.

Sonoma Cinemas was built in 1994. Additional screens were added in 1998 and 2009, bringing the total from four to nine. In a 2009 remodel, the theater added all-stadium seating and all-digital projection and sound.

The Petaluma-based Cinema West chain already offers beer and wine sales at several of its other properties. It operates a total of 12 multi-screen theaters, with 10 in the Bay Area and two in Idaho.

Contact Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

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