"THE LIVING ROOM OF JACKSONVILLE": RESIDENTS RAGE AGAINST SALE OF FIVE POINTS THEATER

“THE LIVING ROOM OF JACKSONVILLE”: RESIDENTS RAGE AGAINST SALE OF FIVE POINTS THEATER

Words & photos by Mallory Pace

Since 2011, the Sun-Ray Cinema has been a landmark spot for what’s widely considered the last of historic movie theaters, bringing in residents from all corners and outskirts of Riverside, providing a feeling of nostalgia for when times were simpler, people were friendlier, and movie concessions were cheaper. Before it was Sun-Ray, it was a conglomerate of entertainment-based businesses going in and out, making its mark in history each step of the way. But by the end of July, after almost a century of operation, the doors to the Five Points Theater on Park Street will be shut for its last time as Sun-Ray Cinema to be transformed yet again, but under completely new owners. Its closure has brought an overwhelming number of Jacksonville residents together, both to mourn and share their beloved memories, but also to voice their criticism and backlash for the decision through outcries of anti-gentrification and desperate clings to pieces of the past. But still, the purchase has been closed and plans for its future are underway.

THE PAST

Since 1927, the building has seen its fair share of changes, but its heart always remained true to cinema. It was first opened as the Riverside Theater, designed by Roy Benjamin, architect for downtown’s Florida Theater that opened a month later. It was the first cinema in the state equipped to show films with sound and third nationally, according to the Five Points Jax website. In the following years, the theater was closed, reopened and converted numerous times, but all for the sake of keeping up with the changing entertainment scene. It was reopened in 1949 as the Five Points Theater, holding a title as one of the first in Jacksonville to provide a smoking lounge with pushback seats (score!). Then in 1991, it opened its doors as a nightclub, inviting in the height of live music. Their website states that in 2004, the Planning and Development Department recommended that the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission approve the designation of the Riverside (Five Points) Theater Building as a City Jacksonville Landmark, which it soon was. Finally, in 2011, what we now know as the Sun-Ray Cinema, set up shop and has been operating since.

If you’ve ever been to the theater, you know why this is a big deal for many. Its uniqueness and old-timey feel is unmatched and certainly incomparable to modern day movie theaters. The movie rooms themselves are relatively small and quaint, the screens are by no means IMAX-level, and the chairs are more chairs than they are couch recliners you might find elsewhere. But that’s exactly the beauty of it. The popcorn is served in tin bowls (eco-friendly!) and you’ll find a table of delicious spices to sprinkle on top, making it a unique and custom experience. The beer and wine is priced like actual beer and wine, meanwhile chain movie theaters offer a $15 half-glass for Barefoot wine like it’s the Moulin Rouge or something. Not to mention the delicious assortment that is their food menu, including a wide selection of vegan options, something that not a lot of restaurants, let alone movie theaters offer.

Sun-Ray is more than a movie theater though; in fact, it rarely offers all the same films compared to a Cinemark, but that’s part of its multifacetedness; the film selection is intentional and crafted in a way you can’t find elsewhere. Elias Jeppesen, a Jacksonville resident and small business owner, emphasized the uniqueness that separates Sun-Ray from the rest, in both the film and food areas.

“It’s a dichotomy of either going to the big generic AMC theater or going to [Sun-Ray] to see a litany of a dozen or so movies, any given week, that are unique,” Jeppesen said. “Not only do they have more interesting movies but they have a pretty relaxed theater experience and it’s the only place you can get real food that’s not just theater food.”

Jeppesen owns Tetherball Coffee in the Mandarin area, and even residents from there have expressed equal disappointment to the news. He has two regulars, both of Tetherball Coffee and of the cinema, who are especially saddened by its closure as they grieve the last of screened independent films you could only find at Sun-Ray. Their daily, if not weekly, rotation of movies expands beyond the mainstream (with a few exceptions) by showing diverse films that are sometimes niche, foreign, classic, documentaries, locally produced, independent, you get the idea. Sun-Ray is a hodgepodge of art, a palate expander of sorts, and they do a great job at casting a light on films and producers that might otherwise go unnoticed, giving audiences an acquired taste of film production beyond Hollywood.

THE PRESENT

One thing about Jacksonville residents is they won’t go down without a fight. News of the theater’s closure has been met with nothing short of rage, disappointment, and sadness. When talks of selling the building were only rumors, a “Save Sun-Ray” campaign spearheaded protests on social media, garnering at least 1,500 signatures before it was shut down. According to an article by The Jacksonville Times-Union, the petition’s creator Adam Guillette told them that, “Jacksonville deserves to have at least one historic theater.”

Yet residents in and outside of the Riverside area have actively taken to social media to voice their concern and distaste for any future renovations that do not uphold the theater’s current operations. But they didn’t stop there, SunRay lovers like native Mary Noonan took to City Council meetings to advocate for the beloved building. She said there was a healthy turnout of people there for the theater and despite feeling heard from the council people, Noonan couldn’t help but wonder if it was the right outlet to be taken, considering it was a done decision at that point. Still, it was important to those who spoke for the council to understand what Sun-Ray means to so many and if there was anything that could be done, she explained.

Despite growing up in the beach area, Noonan has fond memories of the theater since she was a child, going hand in hand with her mom to see films in the eccentric area of Five Points. When she returned to Jacksonville after college, one of the major drawing points in deciding where to live was walkability, especially to her favorite theater, so Riverside was a no-brainer. She called the building “the living room of Jacksonville,” as it marks a place where people with shared interests and a love for film can come together. It’s where a room full of people can laugh, cry, or shield their eyes in horror all for the sake of cinematic art. For Noonan herself, it’s the place she grew up going to as a child, it’s where she broke up with her last boyfriend and where she had her second date with her current one. For so many people, it’s obvious that it’s much more than a movie theater, but a place rooted in history and overwhelmed with nostalgia.

“The first feeling was really devastating, because it’s one of my favorite places in Jacksonville and one of the last places here that holds that true character that I feel is representative of the Five Points community,” she said.

Adding on, she expressed a sense of shock that there wasn’t much community involvement in this decision, especially considering its significant history. Noonan works as an urban planner and she explained that in an informed planning process, it’s good practice for a city to consult with its community before going forward with such a big project, but that wasn’t the case here — which is why, she said, we might be seeing such aggression and upheaval in the community because they’re feeling blindsided by the decision.

“The most successful practices for big changes in a community are headed by inclusive conversation and having an open dialogue with the people that you’re going to be affecting,” Noonan said. “A lot of times with these bigger developments and large cash sales, we kind of skip that process, and it leaves a lot of people feeling angry and frustrated.”

Folio recently put up a Facebook post asking users their opinion on the sale of Sun-Ray and the disapprovement was overwhelming. Comments like, “BOYCOTT ANYONE BUT SUN-RAY!” and “Whatever goes in, I hope it fails!” received dozens of likes in support. One user posted a spoof picture of a Spirit Halloween in place of Sun-Ray in response, parodying the future of the building.

Emma Christine, a long-standing Jacksonville resident commented, “First thing I loved about Jax when I moved here 13 years ago. So unique, so sad to lose.” The shared feeling of disappointment for Jacksonville to lose a century-old landmark was evident; one user commented: “Very upset about it. Another staple of the community will be gone. An unfortunate pattern.” Some even said that their choice to live in Five Points was at least somewhat influenced by the proximity to the theater, or that Sun-Ray was the only venue bringing them to the area. Likewise, Noonan even expressed that it made her so sad she thought about leaving Jacksonville entirely.

THE FUTURE

The building was bought for $7 million by Union South Partners, a Southeast developer of adaptive reuse projects, who has said it has plans of a $2 million renovation and upgrade project. An article by News4Jax quoted one of the firm’s founding partners, Jay Weaver, saying “The Five Points Theater building has played an iconic role in helping shape this neighborhood during the past century, and we intend to keep its historic roots as an entertainment and retail complex intact.”

Though the developers intentions may appear innocent, feelings of defeatedness in losing yet another gem unique to our city is equally met with anger. Many residents feel infuriated by big corporations settling into and overtaking places they’re not wanted. Urban Division Jax of Colliers North Florida is a commercial real estate team representing the buyers of Sun-Ray. In a recent Instagram post from their account wrote that: “The Urban Division’s $7 million sale of the 5 Points Theater Building marks a new beginning for the nucleus of one of Jacksonville’s best neighborhoods… This shift along with the recent announcement of Bar Taco opening in the neighborhood will allow us to continue to push this historic shopping district’s narrative.”

There are 466 comments. I won’t get into all of it, you can check it out for yourself, but here’s what caught my eye: One user wrote, “Doesn’t sound like people are too excited about “pushing the 5 Points narrative,” to which Urban Division Jax responded, verbatim: “maybe we go back to the Swat Team closing down 5 Points? It’s time for a change.

People only hear half the story and thats unfortunate.

But thoroughly entertained by everyone’s lack of knowledge on this sale and the buildings future. In the meantime we will continue to feel confident we are on the right side of this one.”

I’m not in the business of trying to debate the ethicality of buying and selling real estate, let alone the actions of Urban Division Jax, but if there’s one conclusion I must come to, it’s that the people are not happy about it. And they’re rightfully so. Losing a piece of Five Points history to an outside commercial developer to do God knows what to it, is reasonably upsetting and frustrating. It also doesn’t help that the company took to an Instagram comment war to attempt to clear their name in an objectively less than professional fashion. Residents want communication, honesty, and maybe even collaboration from the people and corporations coming into their city trying to change it. I can’t help but wonder if this could have gone another way had everyone begun with a bit of transparency.

What exactly will happen to the beloved Sun-Ray Cinema is still being discussed, though rumors on social media of it turning into a parking garage have been debunked due to its 2004 landmark status protecting it from such a project. That’s a win! On another somewhat brighter note, according to Florida Food and Beverage, a Sun-Ray Cinema will be opening in the Ocean Walk Plaza in Daytona Beach by spring break of this year. So there’s that, I guess.

But no matter what happens, it’s important for Jacksonville residents to keep the historical theater alive in their hearts beyond what the future holds. There have been speculations circulating that the building may become a Nashville-based music venue, which we can surely agree that there are worse things than that. Despite the frustration, we should continue supporting our city with whatever may come next (unless it’s an indoor golfing range, then we riot). At the end of the day, Sun-Ray will never be forgotten, evolved maybe, but its spirit and impact will certainly live on. So until its final days, continue supporting the theater as a thanks for all the memories and rich history it’s given Five Points and beyond. On a lasting note, I think it’s fitting for a Jacksonville native like Noonan, who the theater meant so much to, to share: “People and things aren’t really gone until you stop talking about them. It’s okay to be angry, but the best thing we can do is exercise our power as citizens and speak up when we can, even if it might not make a difference.”