Council approves lease to reopen downtown movie theater at 600 Washington St. E.

The City Council voted to adopt Resolution 26-031, authorizing a lease agreement between the City of Charleston and the Greater Charleston Theater Company and Entertainment Group LLC for the movie theater at 600 Washington Street East.

Council member Jenkins explained the space is city-owned and has been vacant since Park Place closed. Under the lease terms described in committee, the tenant will assume utility costs, and the city will receive 50 cents per ticket sold. The initial lease term is one year with options to renew for two additional one-year periods.

Council member Pepper, who thanked local entrepreneurs Robert Faulkner and Mike Taney by name, described the project as a community-minded, fiscally responsible reuse of a city-owned asset. "Please join me in supporting this fiscally responsible solution that will help make our city improved and have a better way of life for our residents," Pepper said.

Why it matters: Reuse of the Park Place cinema space aims to return a downtown entertainment venue to active use, pass operating costs to a private tenant and provide modest revenue back to the city via a per-ticket fee. The lease moves the property from city maintenance to private operation under a short-term arrangement with renewal options.

What comes next: The tenant will take on utilities and begin preparations to re-open; council authorized the city manager and mayor to execute the lease agreement.