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Alamo Drafthouse Cinema confirms Springfield market entry

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Alamo Drafthouse Cinema today confirmed the movie theater chain is planning a Springfield location.

The news from the Austin, Texas-based company comes one week after St. Louis-based Wehrenberg Theatres announced it would close the Campbell 16 Cine at 4005 South Ave. Alamo’s plan was first reported by the Springfield News-Leader.

“All we can confirm and share at this time is that Alamo Drafthouse will be coming to the market with more news to come soon,” said Brandy Fons, an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema spokeswoman, via text message.

Fons declined to comment on a date for the market entry or if Alamo was targeting the Campbell 16 Cine building for the new location. Calls to Wehrenberg officials were not returned by Springfield Business Journal news deadline.

Noting the area was “overscreened,” Wehrenberg Theatres Vice President of Marketing Kelly Hoskins told SBJ last week the company would close the location due to declines in attendance prompted by higher-end amenities available at other local theaters.

Known for operating restaurants and bars in its theaters and employing a zero-tolerance policy toward cellphone usage during screenings, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has more than 20 theaters in the United States. The only Missouri location is in Kansas City.

For Alamo to open one of its theaters with a bar in Springfield, a change of an existing city ordinance would be required. The Wehrenberg cinema was the only movie theater affected by a 2011 ordinance that prohibits family-oriented movie theaters inside the city limits from serving alcohol. Downtown theater Moxie Cinema is exempt from the ordinance due to its nonprofit status.

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