Granville's last movie theatre closes

The last major movie theatre on the Granville Street entertainment strip in downtown Vancouver will shut its doors for good next month, the owners say.

Dean Leland, vice-president of Empire Theatres, says ticket sales at the Granville 7 multiplex near Robson Street are sliding because people want stadium seating and a more high-tech experience, and the cost of upgrading the theatre is just too high.

"To spend the capital to bring our location to that level that our guests are telling us they would want, would not make viable business sense," he said.

The closure will mark the end of an era for the Granville strip, which was once home to more than a dozen screens that drew thousands of people downtown, even on weeknights.

Organizers of the Vancouver International Film Festival says they are disappointed by the news because Granville 7 is the festival's main location, and they will now have to find another theatre for next year.