Moxie moving to College Station

Downtown art-house movie theater Moxie Cinema is planning an early 2014 move to the College Station Lofts project under development by Brentwood Management.

The nonprofit cinema under the umbrella of Community Foundation of the Ozarks has resided at 431 S. Jefferson Ave. since its founders Dan and Nicole Chilton relocated from its original space at 408 W. Walnut St.

The theater, which the Chiltons sold to CFO's Downtown Springfield Community Cinema group in 2010, is scheduled to move into 305 S. Campbell Ave. in January, according to a news release. The location change would place the cinema about a block away from big-box theater Regal College Station Stadium 14 at 415. W. College St.

“You’ll be able to see virtually any movie playing within a 150-mile radius in one square block of downtown Springfield,” said Rusty Worley, executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, in the release. "This reinforces the walkability of downtown and the opportunity to park once and enjoy a wide variety of offerings."

The roughly $3 million, 26,300-square-foot College Station Lofts development is being built to house retail and restaurant space on the lower level and 16 one- and two-bedroom apartments on the two upper levels. The building is connected to the city-owned College Station parking garage, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

“We’ll suddenly have tons of free covered parking, comfy new seats and be on a lively stretch of Campbell that only looks to get busier,” Moxie Executive Director Mike Stevens said in the release, noting the theater would be the same size.

Through crowdfunding and other donation efforts earlier this year, the Moxie raised $120,000 to convert its 35 mm film system to digital projection.