Plans are in the works for a second movie theater in downtown Bellingham
The Pickford Film Center is making plans to grow, and that could be a boon to the burgeoning arts district of downtown Bellingham.
The organization announced that it recently purchased a building on 105 Grand Ave. with plans to renovate it into a movie theater. Named Pickford on Grand, initial plans include two large screens, a smaller screen that could be used for private showings and a lobby/concession area.
In a mailer sent to members and donors, the organization said purchasing the building was an amazing opportunity and will provide more stability as well as improve the number of quality movies in Bellingham. The total purchase price for the building, which is near Storia Cucina and the Mount Bakery, was $900,000.
The next stage of this project is fundraising: The plan is to raise about $1 million for the renovation work. Susie Purves, executive director at the Pickford Film Center, said they would like to reach that goal by mid-2022 and then begin the renovation work.
Bringing back a second location
Since the closure of the Limelight last year, the organization has looked for ways to have a second theater location. According to the organization, the Limelight was a successful operation; the main reason it was shuttered was because the ventilation issues during a global pandemic were too challenging to overcome in a leased space.
In purchasing a building, they will have more control on how Pickford on Grand is designed.
Having a second location also is important to the overall success of the organization. While Pickford maintains a strong relationship with movie distributors, having recently landed first-run movies such as “Dune,” and “The French Dispatch,” providing only two screens on Bay Street puts a limit on how many movies they can book.
While the organization did consider having a second theater outside of Bellingham, it returned to the idea of wanting to support a vibrant arts district in downtown Bellingham.
“PFC is committed to helping downtown meet its potential as a thriving, interesting, eclectic center for art and commerce in Whatcom as well as Western Washington,” Purves said in an email.
While the downtown arts district has had to deal with the pandemic restrictions like everyone else, it has continued to add businesses in the area, including Geheim Gallery and Black Noise Records on Bay Street earlier this year.
Like most movie theaters across the U.S., the Pickford has spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic closed. It finally reopened the Bay Street theater in May, requiring masks and later proof of vaccination.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the organization is relatively good shape financially, according to the mailer. The $800,000 loan for the Pickford Film Center in 2011 was completely paid off in 2019. With the closure of the Limelight, the organization was able to focus its efforts on improving the ventilation system on Bay Street prior to reopening.
Purves said attendance really started picking up again in October with its documentary movie series event. In November the release of “The French Dispatch,” directed by Wes Anderson, tallied ticket sales at the Pickford that exceeded national averages, Purves said.
This story was originally published November 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
