Arthouse Cinema Coming to Hawthorn
The Glen (aerial shot, right) was one of several prime located assets formerly controlled by the Letten Group of Companies recently offloaded by receivers. Another Letten properties sold at the time was the 1.9-hectare Tontine Pillows factory, in Nicholson Street, Brunswick East. Purchased by the Banco Group for about $15 million, that site is expected to be replaced with a $150 million shopping centre.
The Glen currently includes 20 retailers at ground level and vacant upstairs offices.
A proposal, being reviewed by council, would see part of the ground floor configured into a ticket box and a staircase to the upper level which will be converted into an eight-screen cinema. An outdoor cinema is also projected.
The Lido plans to trade between 9am and midnight. The site abuts a council car park.
In its Boroondara council submission, the applicant provides parking data for its outer suburban Belgrave cinema, saying the proposed Hawthorn Lido cinema will be of similar operational characteristics.
As with many other major proposals before council at the moment, the Lido application relies on strategies in the Melbourne 2030 planning document, which new Planning Minister Matthew Guy has described as dead and buried.
A council spokeswoman said it expects to make a decision about the Lido proposal in April or May.
