SEATTLE — Seattle City Council members unanimously approved Tuesday a nearly $1 million grant to help SIFF reopen the Cinerama theater.
The beloved Belltown movie theater closed in 2020, and SIFF bought it earlier this year with plans to reopen it.
The proposal, sponsored by Councilmember Andrew Lewis of District 7, is part of Council Bill 120618 which amends the 2023 budget. An amendment approved earlier this month gives SIFF a one-time $950,000 grant.
This grant will help SIFF purchase a South Lake Union building and support SIFF’s programs and services that will help revitalize the community. As a one-time grant, the funding would be supported by the Admission Tax revenue, which came in higher than projected in 2022. The grant will be taken from the Arts and Culture Fund.
In exchange for financial assistance, SIFF will be responsible for providing, currently undefined, benefits to the public.
An agreement on a public benefits package still needs to be reached between King County Executive Dow Constantine and the Seattle Film Commission before the funding can be provided. The package may include items such as job creation, goods and services, focusing on racial justice and social equity, and revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood of Belltown.
During Tuesday’s meeting, council members unanimously approved an amendment that the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture include provisions in its agreement with SIFF for living wages and jobs funded by the grant and labor harmony agreements as part of the public benefits package.
The Cinerama opened in 1963 and became incredibly popular. Paul G. Allen's estate bought the theatre in the 1990s. After closing its doors during the pandemic, the Seattle International Film Festival, a nonprofit organization, bought the Cinerama in May. SIFF will not be able to keep the theater’s name due to trademark licensing. SIFF has not released what name it will open under.
The city's Finance and Housing Committee approved the proposal Aug. 2.