Seaport Square Plans Now Include Three Theaters to Dazzle Potential Renters

A new addition to the development plan for Seaport Square was revealed recently. According to WS Development, the Chestnut Hill-based developer of the last swath of the booming business district, three theaters will be added to the site. Seaport Square comprises of 23 acres of space on the waterfront of the city of Boston. WS Development is currently in charge of the 12.5-acre site.

The planned theaters can have the following features:

• Two of them will have 325 seats each.
• These two theaters would serve to reinforce the Seaport Performing Arts Center, which will be built on Summer Street.
• Meanwhile, the third theater would act as a community venue anywhere on the site.

The developer received criticisms earlier this year after they announced their plans of discontinuing the building of a performing arts center, which was supposed to take 200,000 square feet of land. The decision to add the three theaters could appease public officials and art groups and aficionados who were not too happy about the prior announcement.

WS Development stands by their choice of dropping the plans for the performing arts center. They believe that there is not enough demand in Boston to create such a massive art space. Although critics were not pleased with the decision, they also agreed that the city would work better with smaller venues for arts and not with the large ones.

Bowing to Pressure

As the arts groups and City Hall express their disappointment with the Seaport developers, the owner of the undeveloped swath made a significant change in the plan to pacify the critics. The addition of the theaters, along with the other developments in the plan would help fill a huge gap, which actually pertains to parking lots.

These parking spaces would allow Summer Street and Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as well as the waterfront of the Seaport to meet one another. The project would also represent the last ability to build significant structures right at the heart of the newest neighborhood in the city.

Many groups and organizations say the city lacks civic amenities, but WS Development stands firmly with their decision to not add more entertainment venues in the city. However, the latest tweaks in the project are a bid to help address the complaints about the deficiency of such facility in Boston.

Could This Signal the Return of More Silver Screens in Boston?

Many years ago, the city of Boston was once glowing because of marquees from more than a dozen theaters. However, as time passed and online streaming became widely available, only two remain today.

It may still be impossible for the city to have that many theaters again. With the Seaport Square plan though, the citizens could rejoice to the comeback of more theaters in Boston. The current number of the movie theaters in the city could become triple because four more cinemas are scheduled to open.

Three of the cinemas are already under construction. These theaters though will not be the same as the ones from before. It is true that you can still eat popcorn and candies and drink your favorite soda while watching a movie.

However, the new theaters are more modern with comfort and style in mind. You can drink cocktails from the bar in the same building. You can even eat a full meal if that is what you want while you watch the latest film on the big screen. You can do all these things while you lounge out in a reclining seat reserved especially for you.

New Plans Up for Review

The plan will still be reviewed by the development officials in Boston. If it is approved, the Seaport Square could also include more green space, which can be used by startups and small businesses. Plus, there could also be an extension of the lease of District Hall, which will be valid until 2033.

WS Development is ready to commit $2.5 million for water ferries in the Seaport. Alternatively, they are also willing to put up the same amount for the expansion of Silver Line.