Alamo Drafthouse Cinema targets Springfield

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

The news from the Austin, Texas-based company came 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 spokeswoman.

She declined to comment on a target date or if Alamo was interested in the Campbell 16 building. The roughly 9.4-acre parcel at 4005 South Ave. is owned by Cinema 16 LLC, according to Greene County assessor records.

Inquiries to Wehrenberg officials and Cinema 16 LLC manager Judith Beisner about whether the companies had been contacted by Alamo or if the property was listed for sale were not returned by deadline.

Noting the area was “overscreened,” Wehrenberg Theatres spokeswoman Kelly Hoskins said the company was closing Campbell 16 due to declines in attendance prompted by higher-end amenities available at other theaters.

Another Alamo spokesman, Brad Johnson, said the typical size of an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is around 36,000 square feet. Assessor records peg the Campbell 16 commercial square footage at 54,350.

Known for operating restaurants and bars in its theaters and employing a zero-tolerance policy toward cellphone usage during screenings, Alamo Drafthouse operates 23 cinemas in eight states – each with two-10 screens – and nine planned for additional markets in Arizona, Colorado, New York, Virginia and Texas, according to Drafthouse.com. The only Missouri location is in Kansas City, and a Springfield movie house is not named in the plans.

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 city limits from serving alcohol. Downtown theater Moxie Cinema is exempt from the ordinance due to its nonprofit status.