Structural problem postpones theater reopening

* Damage discovered during cleanup delays effort to rebuild after September fire.

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

The Century 6 Cinema has been closed since a weekend fire in September damaged the southwest corner of the building.

Owner Jim Novak at first estimated the repairs would only take a week or two but delays in getting the structural steel needed has pushed the opening back.

"We need to replace the steel roof beams over the lobby," Novak said. "We're waiting on the steel to finish those repairs."

Most of the smoke and water damage is taken care of but the theater can't open with the damage to the lobby area's roof beams.

"We've got most of it cleaned up and ready to go, the smoke smell is gone and the water damage cleaned up," Novak said. "If it were just theater number 1 we could open the rest of it but we have to fix the lobby area first.

Novak said it was frustrating waiting for the steel to be delivered.

"When you have to order something special like that, you're at the mercy of someone else," Novak said. "We can't do anything until we get it and we can't hurry it up any."

Novak said he was now hoping to get the theater opened by November but hitting that target date depends on getting the steel and on the weather.

"We think we'll get the steel this week," Novak said. "If we do and the weather is good next week, we should be able to open shortly after that.

Area theatergoers are being patient but they are frustrated also and would like to see the theater open for business.

"I had to go all the way down to Joplin to watch 'Ladder 49' and I cried all the way down," Sharon Didden said. "I didn't realize how convenient this theater was until I couldn't go to it any more."

Didden said one of the things that bothered her was the time and preparation it took to go to a theater out of town.

"When we go down to Joplin there is a lot of planning to do and it turns into a big production," Didden said. "I like to go to the matinée and you have to call down to get the time to see when the show is, drive an hour to get there and then after the movie you usually want something to eat so you spend even more money. With the theater here five minutes before the movie you could just call someone and say 'Let's go' and that's all it took."