LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Lincoln will continue to keep its downtown theater protection policy that prohibits large multiscreen movie theaters elsewhere in the city.
The City Council voted Monday to retain the more than 30-year-old rule allowing six-screen theaters in larger regional shopping areas, The Lincoln Journal Star (https://bit.ly/2knCqQl ) reports. The larger theater complexes will only be allowed in the downtown area.
The city’s policy was created as part of a larger effort to encourage the transition of downtown Lincoln from office and retail businesses to an entertainment destination.
Councilman Roy Christensen wants to end the downtown protection to allow more competition.
“Free markets create competition and competition creates innovation,” said Christensen.
The council did change the city’s theater code so businesses can put a theater with no more than 250 seats in smaller neighborhood shopping centers. Christensen said that move would likely lead to dinner theater types of businesses.
But other council members who like the protection say the theaters boost business downtown.
Theater experts say allowing large multiscreen theaters in regional areas would likely put a smaller east-central Lincoln theater out of business.
The policy began in 1984 as part of an effort to make downtown Lincoln an entertainment destination.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, https://www.journalstar.com
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