The Zoetic will be closing its doors to the public unless it can find a new owner.
The 300-seat theatre on Concession Street, which is known for hosting movie sing-alongs and a variety of live performances, has been owned by Jeremy Major and Christena Hampson since 2013.
The pair also run a dance studio and a film production company from the 13,800-square-foot property, which also has retail space and four units currently being used as office space.
Speaking on Global News Radio 900 CHML’s Scott Thompson Show, Major said the bulk of the space is taken up by the dance studio, but it’s outgrown the space and will be relocated to a dedicated dance facility on Upper Wentworth Street near Limeridge Mall.
“It left us kind of questioning, do we still want to run the theatre? How do we want to make use of this space now?” said Major. “And just given how busy we are with everything, and our real sort of passion being in those other areas, we decided that we’re not going to continue with the theatre itself.”
He said there has been sustained interest in the theatre and it’s not a case of it not doing well, adding the sing-alongs have been selling out.
“It’s really just sort of us having to prioritize a little bit — we have a big family together, too, and it’s just too much for us right now.”
Major says there have been people expressing interest in the property, which is listed for $1.9 million, and most of those people seem to want to keep the theatre functioning as it has been.
“I don’t think anyone’s been through who hasn’t had an interest in using the theatre space as a theatre. And there’s a lot of other space in the building that could be rented out for stores again like it used to be, apartments, that kind of thing. So there is a good kind of scenario there for somebody who has a way to marry the creative and the business side.”
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Major and Hampson said they have a busy summer ahead of them, but their goal is to sell the theatre by September.
The decision has left them with mixed emotions, but Major said the response from the community has meant a lot.
“We posted it on Facebook this week and the response was overwhelming. I can’t even begin to go through all the comments. But a lot of what’s there is very sentimental and people who are very appreciative of what we’ve started here.”
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