The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Marcus Theatres Corporation is planning to build a theater complex in downtown Milwaukee's Park East area.

Rendering by Eppstein Uhen Architects

Milwaukee currently has no operating movie theaters in its city limits, but several projects have been proposed only to have been abandoned later. Marcus also owns The Grand, which was a single-screen 2400-seat 1930's movie palace that closed in 1995.

The company, which operates southeastern Wisconsin's dominant cinema chain, would develop the theater north of E. Knapp St., between N. Water St. and the Milwaukee River. That 2.6-acre site also would feature a 14-story office tower, plus a six-story building that would consolidate Associated Banc-Corp's local operations.

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In 2004, Jenco Cinemas planned a movie theater as part of the PabstCity entertainment complex that was being planned. Then, in 2005, Marcus came forward and announced plans to develop a movie theater at the PabstCity project. The theater's opening was planned for the 4th quarter of 2007, but the PabstCity project was scrapped before any construction occurred.

For a city that once boasted incredible movie palaces that lined the streets of downtown, it's odd that there are no options for seeing movies today. I've toured the Grand and it looks like it was a beautiful building in its heyday. Unfortunately, it will probably never be used as a movie palace again, and will probably fall into disrepair to the point where it will be condemned.

As far as this Park East project goes, nothing is certain until construction begins, so who knows if downtown Milwaukee will finally see a movie theater again?