A south side Milwaukee cinema which closed over a year ago would be converted into a banquet hall under a new proposal that’s received an initial city approval.
Southgate Cinema, 3330 S. 30th St., closed in September 2023. It was among three cinemas closed then by Marcus Theatres.
New plans call for converting most of the 10 separate cinema auditoriums into one large banquet hall, with moveable partitions to divide into several smaller rooms as needed.
The facility could be booked for weddings, business meetings and other events − with capacity for up to 1,068 patrons, according to Department of City Development report.
One of the auditoriums would remain as a theater for special events.
The Plan Commission on Monday recommended rezoning the site to accommodate the banquet hall, which would be operated by Kanaan LLC.
Kanaan is led by Mohammad K. Ali. His other group, 3330 S. 30th Street LLC, bought the building in June for $1.42 million, according to city assessment records.
That rezoning needs Common Council approval. Ald. Peter Burgelis, whose district includes the site, told the commission he supports the proposal.
The building’s renovations would include leveling the sloped floors, adding new exterior ramps at exit doors, building a warming kitchen for caterers, and remodeling the former concessions space into a reception area with a bar.
Also, the entry would be remodeled to include a covered drop-off area, and new landscaping and other improvements would be made to the parking lot.
Nearly half of the 5-acre site would be reserved for future development.
Cinemark opened the theater, called Movies 10, in 1993. The Dallas-based chain in 1998 sold the property to Marcus Theatres, and it was renamed Southgate Cinema.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram,Bluesky, X and Facebook.
