Developer that bought Sun-Ray Cinema building wants space to remain entertainment-focused

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Roundabouts, popular restaurants and bars, and Sun-Ray Cinema anchor the Five Points neighborhood in Riverside today.

But soon, things will change after a Georgia-based developer purchased the Five Points theatre building.

MORE: New owner says Sun-Ray Cinema lease has expired, won’t be renewed

Tenants with retail and office spaces in the building will ride out their leases, but the lease for the two-screen movie theater that’s called the building home since 2011 has expired and will not be renewed.

That news has left many locals upset about the recent sale.

“Very much enraged, very disappointed, very saddened, absolutely heartbreaking,” said Sun-Ray customer Victoria Valiente.

The developers bought the space for $7 million earlier this month. Union South Partners said it will preserve the historic façade of Sun-Ray Cinema but if you’re hoping to catch another show, there’s not much time. The theatre’s last showing will be on July 6.

“People want Sun-Ray here. They want Sun-Ray to stay. They don’t want another business in here. Nobody wants to give this place business if it’s not Sun-Ray,” Valiente said.

Jay Weaver, a co-founder of the Georgia-based Union South Partners, said the plan is for the space to remain entertainment-focused.

“We’re talking to a few different groups about different entertainment uses. We are excited about that space as any and we know there’s controversy there as well. But at the end of the day, we really think people will be pleased with what we’re going to do there,” Weaver said.

Weaver said the group has already started mapping out the construction and renovation process for the building that will start in the next 30 days. The renovation will cost at least $2 million, Jacksonville Daily Record reported.

“That marquee sign will remain, the facade will remain, the storefront. I think, you know, for most part people won’t really recognize any huge changes. I think it’ll be more in the interior, but those will all be appreciated upgrades for the tenants that will be occupying the space,” Weaver said.

Union South Partners has completed similar renovation projects in the past while making it a priority to preserve history. In Charleston, South Carolina, it transformed The Cigar Factory, a building built in the 1800s, into a place with well-recognized restaurants, retail shopping, outdoor dining and open public space. It did the same in Nashville, Tennessee with eight brick buildings from the 1920s.

“We’re excited about Jacksonville and all that it has to offer,” Weaver said. “We think it’s a city that’s really up and coming and I think you’re seeing that with a lot of things going on there. And so we’re excited and we hope people will wait and see before they pass any more judgments to see what we can actually do here.”

But Valiente is not waiting.

“I want Sun-Ray to stay here. You know, any other thing that they have planned for this space, I think would be doing Jacksonville and Five Points and the neighborhood and city as a whole, like an injustice,” Valiente said.

Union South Partners said it will be able to share more detailed information about the renovation and the plans for Sun-Ray Cinema in the next two to four weeks.