by Jas Keimig
Once again, Ark Lodge Cinemas is facing imminent closure. And this time, things are looking pretty bleak.
The independently owned and operated movie theater in the heart of Columbia City recently announced that they owe $102,000 in back rent, and their landlord is looking to sell the building and intends to evict them in the upcoming days or weeks. Last week , Ark Lodge launched a GoFundMe with a $250,000 goal to address the debt and ensure they stay current on their lease until a new buyer for the building can be found.
"We want to keep the theater going, and right now your donation will help us meet that goal of keeping the doors open and our staff paid," the fundraiser description reads.
While the theater has been struggling with low attendance numbers, egregious movie studio fees, and high rent for the past half-decade, this most recent crisis began back in 2021. Current managing director Justin Pritchett had just joined staff and had a lot of big plans: turning the upstairs into a ghost kitchen, making the theater available for film classes, and eventually taking the business over from longtime owner David McRae. A previous GoFundMe, along with grant money from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, helped the theater catch up on bills and stabilize itself.
But a confluence of events set them way back. First, two major break-ins forced them to replace stolen equipment and install expensive windows in addition to replacing their deteriorated marquee at a cost of $15,000. Then the landlord hit them with a huge rent increase, from $10,000 to $15,000 per month. All of Pritchett and McRae's plans were upended, forcing them to cut staff down to just themselves.
The writers' and actors' strikes last year made matters even worse, with movie studios pushing out release dates for tentpole films like Dune 2, making the big-ticket opportunities to get butts in seats fewer and farther between. For the past three years, the Ark Lodge has been submitting partial payments, but according to their social media, the landlords want back rent and late fees. As of this publishing, the theater tweeted that they have raised enough money to hire legal representation.
While the future of the venue hangs in the balance, Ark Lodge intends to fight the good fight as long as necessary to bring first run films to their corner of Rainier Avenue. The best way to support Ark Lodge now — besides the GoFundMe — is simply to show up, buy a ticket, pick up some concession items, and watch a movie.
Jas Keimig is a writer and critic based in Seattle. They previously worked on staff at The Stranger, covering visual art, film, music, and stickers. Their work has also appeared in Crosscut, South Seattle Emerald, i-D, Netflix, and The Ticket. They also co-write Unstreamable for Scarecrow Video, a column and screening series highlighting films you can't find on streaming services. They won a game show once.
📸 Featured Image: Ark Lodge Cinemas, a beloved Columbia City movie theater, in 2017. (Photo: Alex Garland)
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