Save our theater – The Clifton 5

This resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. in February 2013, and kicked-off a 16-month long fundraising effort which officially concludes today.

The Historic Clifton Theatre in downtown Huntingdon recently upgraded to digital projection with fundraising assistance from Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc.

The Historic Clifton Theatre was built in 1923 as a “Shrine of Silent Films.”  Over the years as the movie industry has changed – first progressing from silent films to “talkies”, then to Dolby surround sound, to various incarnations of 3D projection – the Clifton Theatre has changed with it.  The latest development in the movie industry presents a new challenge for small, community theaters like the Clifton.  Movie makers are rapidly phasing out celluloid 35mm film in favor of digital format.  This forces theaters all over the world that show Hollywood movies to change their projection equipment, or be forced to scramble for 35mm reels that are being destroyed more rapidly than they are being produced, and in the process be forced to show dated or foreign films, at an extremely high shipping cost.

Huntingdon Cinemas, Inc. currently owns and operates the Clifton Theatre as a five screen movie house showing first-run Hollywood films.  Huntingdon Cinemas owns the Clifton Theatre building that contains three auditoriums, and rents space in an adjacent building to house the other two screens.  The Clifton Theatre has been locally owned and operated throughout its history, and has been a tremendous community resource to the residents, visitors, schools, and community organizations in Huntingdon and surrounding counties.

As a small community in a very rural county, Huntingdon is not a market that is attractive to larger theater chains, therefore if the community were to lose its sole remaining movie house, the chances of another one opening to take its place are very slim.  That is why we at Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. believe that offering financial assistance to Huntingdon Cinemas, Inc. to make the necessary upgrades to their projection equipment is worthy of community support.

Huntingdon Cinemas, Inc. is doing its part to make this $269,878 project happen.  They have identified opportunities for financing using local banks, state and local economic development loan funds, as well as cash investment combined that will add up to more than $250,000.  Even with all that investment and debt, there is still a gap that needs to be filled to save our theater.

Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation whose mission is to promote and facilitate the preservation and economic viability of historic landmarks in Huntingdon.  Landmarks believes that helping Huntingdon Cinemas, Inc. close this funding gap to convert to digital projection equipment is wholly in line with its mission, and therefore has accepted the challenge to solicit community support for this project.

By making a tax-deductible, charitable contribution to Huntingdon Landmarks Inc., you can support this project, and in the process provide funding for future support of our mission.  The primary goal of this fundraising effort is to purchase naming rights to the auditoriums within the Clifton Theatre or otherwise operated by Huntingdon Cinemas, Inc.  Any funds raised over and above the purchase price and fundraising/donor recognition expenses, will be used by Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. as a revolving loan fund for this or future projects that encourage the preservation and/or economic viability of historic landmarks in Huntingdon County.

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Developing a Multi-Modal Community

Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. fully supports the creation of bicycle routes through Huntingdon Borough, and has agreed in principle to work with private landowners and the Borough to make necessary improvements to their properties to accommodate wider on-street rights of way for bike lanes, or off-street bikeways where appropriate based on engineering studies.

The paved circuit path through Huntingdon’s Portstown Park is enjoyed by walkers and riders of all ages.

As home to Juniata College and three of Huntingdon Area School District’s school buildings, Huntingdon Borough has a significant resident and visiting population whose only means of transportation is a bicycle. As one of the oldest planned communities west of Tuscarora Ridge, Huntingdon was laid out with relatively narrow streets during colonial times, and accommodations have been made over time for on-street automobile parking, making travel lanes even narrower and risky for cyclists to pass between a parked car, whose door may open at any moment, and moving vehicles in travel lanes. Many neighborhoods in the Borough, especially in the downtown section have buildings built to the edge of the public right of way, restricting sight lines at intersections, another risk factor to bicycle safety.

Huntingdon is currently home to sections of two PennDOT approved scenic bicycle routes in the Fishermen’s Loop and Spelunker Loop. Both of these routes, planned by the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission, are well-used and would benefit from the addition of bicycle lanes.

Within a 10 mile ride of Huntingdon are trailheads for three very popular off-road bicycling destinations, namely the Lower Trail rail trail, the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake, and the multi-use trails of Rothrock State Forest via State Game Lands 112.

Huntingdon Landmarks is working with local businesses, organizations and artists to create bike racks as public art installations. The first one is located at Standing Stone Coffee Company on Mifflin Street.

In addition to all of the bicycling attractions surrounding Huntingdon Borough, the Borough itself has cycling amenities that make it the commercial hub of a true bicycling destination. These amenities include a bike and skate park and paved loop trail in Portstown Park; and bike racks as public art installations at Juniata College, Standing Stone Coffee Company, St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church, Huntingdon Community Center, Huntingdon County Library, and Detwiler Field. Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. will be working over the course of the coming years to install more public art bike racks throughout the Borough.

The sport and transit mode of bicycling have led to economic development in Huntingdon Borough as well over the past 5 years, including the addition of bikes, bike accessories, bike service and bike rentals to the offerings of Rothrock Outfitters. Rothrock Outfitters has added 1 year-round full-time and 5 seasonal full-time employees since adding bicycle merchandise and services in 2009.

Huntingdon Landmarks, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation based in Huntingdon Borough whose mission is to promote and facilitate the preservation and economic viability of historic landmarks in Huntingdon. We sincerely believe that integrating multiple modes of transportation in the Borough and greater Huntingdon area is critical to keeping historic structures in Huntingdon economically viable. Many of Huntingdon’s best assets are best viewed on foot, or from the saddle of a bicycle.