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Northgate movie theater flickers out The curtain has lowered permanently on one of the North Bay’s longstanding movie theaters—the multi-screen cineplex at Northgate mall in Terra Linda is now closed. Cinemark Holdings, the Texas-based movie-theater chain that owns the Century Northgate Theater, decided not to renew its lease on the 45-acre complex, a mall spokesperson reported to the Marin Independent Journal . Cinemark acquired the Northgate theater as part of its acquisition of Century Theatres in 2006. The mall has been owned since 2017 by Merlone Geier Partners, a real estate investment company which specializes in redeveloping shopping centers. Merlone Geier has proposed reinventing Northgate into a residential-commercial community hub featuring apartments, townhomes, restaurants, shops and, until now, a movie theater. Merlone spokesperson Ross Guehring told the Marin IJ the closure could pave the way for a new theater operator, a different entertainment-center concept or “other compelling new retail tenants.”
The movie theater has been a Northgate staple since opening in 1966, a year after the launch of Northgate Fashion Mall—a then-state-of-the-art retail center anchored by the Emporium and Sears and featuring an open-air design by Marin-based architect Lawrence Halprin notable for its fountains and reflecting pools. The movie theater industry has faced a headwind of challenges in recent years, as options for viewing films and various entertainment content have spread to streaming and other digital platforms. An estimated 25% of movie theaters nationwide never reopened following the pandemic. Cinemark has closed about 50 theaters since the pandemic. The Century Regency 6, also in Terra Linda, closed last November; Century Larkspur closed in 2022.— JW
North Bay tule elk will soon be free to roam free in Tomales Point, as federal officials plan to remove the controversial fence enclosures that have limited the elks’ mobility within the Point Reyes National Seashore. The removal of the fencing was announced as part of the Tomales Point Area Plan, finalized last month by the PRNS, which is maintained by the National Park Service. The fencing has induced criticism by animal-rights watchdogs, as it has prevented the ungulates from reaching vital water sources during times of drought. The plan also calls for the removal of all temporary water systems installed during the most recent drought. Additionally, the plan includes future opportunities to improve recreational uses and the visitor experience at historic Pierce Ranch, new approaches to preserve and maintain wilderness character in the Phillip Burton Wilderness, and methods to better protect natural and cultural resources. Under the General Agreement for a government-to-government partnership, PRNS consulted and collaborated with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria throughout this planning process. The park is incorporating the tribe’s views and traditional ecological knowledge into the management of Tomales Point. Park Superintendent Anne Altman said the plan incorporated feedback from more than 35,000 public comment letters. “The benefit of removing this enclosure is to allow elk to access additional habitat, increase the Don’t Fence Them In: PRNS plans to remove tule elk barriers
species’ population resilience during drought, and promote a more natural population cycle,” Altman said in an announcement of the finalization of the plan. Tule elk are native fauna to the Point Reyes Peninsula. The species was extirpated from the area by human encroachment by the end of the 19th century but were reintroduced to the region in 1978. To view the Tomales Point Area Plan, visit go.nps.gov/pore/tpap .
January 2025
NorthBaybiz 13
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