Cinema seeks a way to 'bridge' community and University

On any given evening, the Bridge: Cinema de Lux is likely to be full of 20-year-old college students enjoying a study break, clad in Penn sweatshirts and jeans.

But due to the theater's intentionally strategic location near the border between campus and the surrounding neighborhood, its customer base is also dominated by local residents, its typical audience dotted with West Philadelphia families and kids from nearby high schools.

Such was the intention when planning for the Bridge, located on the corner of 40th and Walnut streets, began. As an upscale facility featuring stadium seating, a media immersion room and a full bar and cafe, in addition to concession stands -- but with ticket prices comparable to standard movie theaters -- it was intended to attract a diverse crowd.

Ideally, that meant both Penn students and local residents, according to Omar Blaik, vice president for Facilities and Real Estate Services.

The cinema has now been open for business for almost a year, and, in his mind, it has proven to be a successful venture.

In fact, he said, the theater's reach has expanded beyond Penn and University City to residents of the greater Philadelphia area.

"The theater has brought people from Center City and the suburbs, and has really opened up University City to many people who never wandered there before," Blaik said.

"I think that's exactly what we were hoping for."

In one sense, the incentives behind the desire to attract a diverse audience have been financially motivated.

Beyond facilitating community relations, Blaik noted that it is crucial to maintain a large base of local customers, especially during the summer months, when the student population on campus dwindles.

"Helping to bring the community in was almost the core mission of what we were trying to accomplish," Blaik said. "The idea of bringing the neighborhood out allows for the density to be throughout the year."

He added that after its first year, the Bridge is one of the largest-grossing theaters in the entire region.

The Bridge has also drawn Philadelphians to other restaurants and retail spots on the 40th Street corridor, encouraging more businesses to open in the area and making an even broader impact financially, Blaik said.

Marathon Grill, which is slated to open in the Bridge complex, is one such case.

Lori Brennan, University City District spokeswoman, echoed Blaik's sentiments.

"The opening of the Bridge, as well as Freshgrocer, created additional foot traffic at that corner, and really affected the smaller businesses in a positive way," she said.

Revenue generation aside, some West Philadelphia residents, like Kathryn Kurtz, say the Bridge has been a beneficial addition to the area. However, they do not necessarily see the theater as a community issue.

It's a "positive addition to [the] neighborhood to have another entertainment venue," said Kurtz, who lives in the area and is president of the Powelton Village Civic Association. "I've gone myself several times."

"I think any kind of variety for options for entertainment is a good thing," she added.

However, she noted that her preference for the theater was "just a personal thing" and that it was not something that had been discussed as a neighborhood issue.

But according to Jennifer Hanson, the corporate spokeswoman for National Amusements, Inc., which runs the Bridge, addressing the community's needs is a goal of the theater.

Towards this end, a number of special programs designed to bring in residents -- including large groups of children -- have been initiated throughout the theater's opening year.

For instance, this summer, neighborhood kids showed up in large numbers for Bookworm Wednesdays. For eight weeks, they received free admission to a children's film by submitting a book report of their choice.

"We had literally thousands of children, who came both with their families and through daycare or camps," Hanson said.

"Numbers grew every week, and we definitely plan to run this again next summer."

This coming October, the Bridge plans to host "Flick or Treat" the Saturday before Halloween, when children can come to watch a film for free.

"These programs are open to the public and have been developed to speak to local community members," Hanson said.

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