Angelika Film Center coming to Providence

IF ANYONE NEEDED EVIDENCE of the influence of the Providence Place Mall, look no further than just-signed plans for the development of an arthouse cinema complex on a nearby parcel of land at Harris and Kinsley avenues. The main attraction will be a seven-screen Angelika Film Center and Cafe, operated by Reading Entertainment of Philadelphia, whose flagship Angelika complex is located in New York City's East Village.

The arthouse cinema will be part of Providence Marketplace, a two-story development slated for completion by summer or fall 2000, that will include restaurants, a farmers' market in the style of Seattle's Pikes Place, and, possibly, a bookstore. "The whole idea is to create a sense of community and a place for people to gather," says developer David Wasserman of Starwood Wasserman in Providence, who last week signed Reading Entertainment as a tenant for the project.

Despite Providence's growing reputation as a user-friendly community for filmmakers, arthouse selections remain relatively sparse, and attempts in recent years by developer Arnold "Buff" Chace to attract a Sundance film complex to Downcity came up empty. Wasserman, who has been pursuing his project for about 18 months, says Providence Place's completion was crucial in Reading Entertainment's decision to open an Angelika Film Center here.

Described by Reading as the top-grossing arthouse in the US, the Angelika Film Center in New York is the base for some programs, which might also be developed in Providence, for cable television's Bravo! and Independent Film Channel. Reading operates a handful of similar arthouse cinemas around the country.

"We felt that Providence is a very strong market in terms of art films,'' says Ellen Cotter, Reading's vice president of business affairs. "We felt there are not enough screens in the market."

Providence Marketplace will be located on a pie slice-shaped parcel of land at Harris and Kinsley avenues, across Interstate 95 and the mall, close to the Woonasquatucket River. Formerly the location of a wholesale produce market, part of the site is now occupied by the Silver Top Diner, a favorite nocturnal destination for clubgoers and late-night workers. Wasserman says it will be possible for the diner to relocate on the site, "but that's their call, not mine."

The proliferation of forthcoming downtown movie options -- the Angelika, the IMAX and 16-screen Hoyt cinema at Providence Place, and a planned Downcity cinema at Washington and Mathewson streets -- raises the question of whether the city be able to support so many screens. But as seen by Wasserman, the mix of mainstream and arthouse films will compliment each other and foster a growing critical mass of downtown activity. "The more things to do, it just enhances the image of the city," he says. "It's really just a huge plus."

-- I.D.

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