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At Last! Is Richardson Getting an Alamo Drafthouse?


by Jerome Weeks 30 Apr 2012 3:57 PM

People were passing along that particular rumor practically in the previous millennium. But now there’s an actual city with an actual re-zoning request with a site plan with a company name on it. And the zoning meeting is tomorrow.

CTA TBD

Rumors of the Austin-based-and-cineaste-beloved Alamo Drafthouse and Cinema moving into the North Texas area have come and gone and gone for years (here’s Unfair Park from three and a half years ago). There even was that chance they’d take over the old Casa Linda Theatre (alas, not to be).

Now it looks like the ‘burbs may be getting a big ol’ sudsy one. Specifically, the southwest corner of Central Expressway and Belt Line Road. The City of Richardson’s planning commission has on its agenda for tomorrow a request for re-zoning 16.85 acres “to accommodate a movie theater at the Richardson Heights Shopping Center,” said 16.85 acres having been a Pep Boys store.

There is nothing in the city’s “agenda packet” or the staff reports that expressly declares the aforementioned movie theater will be an Alamo Drafthouse — until we get to the site plan (above), and then wham, there’s the name and logo on what looks to be 35,000 square feet of movie-lovers’ heaven. The Drafthouse company is not doing the re-zoning requests themselves, so I’ve put a couple calls in to the real estate partners whose names are on the request, just to ask, you know, were they sticking any ol’ logo on their rough-draft blueprints here just as a kind of place marker or is this the really-real deal?

No calls back yet. But the hearing is tomorrow; perhaps they’re busy.

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  • gooberstank

    Oh. my. god. please. god. yes.

  • Pingback: An Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson? | FrontRow()

  • Except that if you look at the packet, it clearly states that it is for the Alamo Drafthouse all over the paperwork, not just the schematic drawing

    • Anonymous

      Really? Before I got to the rendering and the site plan, the only thing I found in all of the written portion of the packet was a reference to the Alamo Drafthouse sign in the details of changes needed. But I’m perfectly willing to concede I may have missed something …. so many numbers, such tiny type …

  • Except that if you look at the packet, it clearly states that it is for the Alamo Drafthouse all over the paperwork, not just the schematic drawing

    • JeromeWeeks

      Really? Before I got to the rendering and the site plan, the only thing I found in all of the written portion of the packet was a reference to the Alamo Drafthouse sign in the details of changes needed. But I’m perfectly willing to concede I may have missed something …. so many numbers, such tiny type …

  • ryetronics

    Video from the plan commission meeting last night with lots of details…

    http://richardsontx.swagit.com/play/05012012-697

  • ryetronics

    Video from the plan commission meeting last night with lots of details…

    http://richardsontx.swagit.com/play/05012012-697

  • Txcsmith5677

    Please, please, please, please….

  • Txcsmith5677

    Please, please, please, please….

  • Andrew

    The neighborhood showed up in force to promote this case. This has to go to the City Council next. We look forward to supporting it there as well.

  • Andrew

    The neighborhood showed up in force to promote this case. This has to go to the City Council next. We look forward to supporting it there as well.

  • James S 154

    The new location in Austin has a patio and lounge so guests can take advantage of Alamo’s over 30 draft beers, who knows how many bottled beers and custom cocktails! Reading press releases of other Alamo announcements it sounds like all new locations will have this! Get ready DFW if Drafthouse has indeed landed our worlds are about to be rocked for the better! I think very soon DFW movie fans are going to be saying, “studio movie who?” Viva la Alamo!

  • James S 154

    The new location in Austin has a patio and lounge so guests can take advantage of Alamo’s over 30 draft beers, who knows how many bottled beers and custom cocktails! Reading press releases of other Alamo announcements it sounds like all new locations will have this! Get ready DFW if Drafthouse has indeed landed our worlds are about to be rocked for the better! I think very soon DFW movie fans are going to be saying, “studio movie who?” Viva la Alamo!

  • Anonymous

    It’s on the opposite end of town from me, and I’ll always be sorry it didn’t happen at Casa Linda, but what a wonderful addition to the region. So great that you uncovered this, Jerome. I look forward to a confirmed report!

  • ClintonTwiss

    It’s on the opposite end of town from me, and I’ll always be sorry it didn’t happen at Casa Linda, but what a wonderful addition to the region. So great that you uncovered this, Jerome. I look forward to a confirmed report!