New lease of life for old cinema
THE FORMER ABC cinema has been given a new lease of life, seven years after it closed its doors.
The Princes Street building has been empty since 2001 when Castle Leisure Group (CLG) revealed grand plans for transforming the venue.
Building work at the site has been ongoing on the project for two years and is finally nearing completion.
According to the new club's Bebo page, City will be a 'stunning hybrid venue which is destined to change Falkirk's nightlife forever.'
Split over four levels, the club will also incorporate a Sportsters bar and diner.
At the moment, Rosies, which is also owned by CLG, will remain open on the other side of the road once City is finished.
Rumours had been circulating that the club would open this week, but Paul Smith, director of CLG, insists this was never the plan.
Mr Smith said: "Everything in the building is controlled by computers, and we have had to commission different pieces from different suppliers, and they couldn't do that work until the whole building is completed.
"We decided not to put ourselves under pressure by setting a date for us to open, but it will be very soon.
"We are really excited about it – it's been a long time in the planning, and we have been actively developing the building for two years."
The ABC cinema first opened its doors as the Regal in November 1934, with a showing of the Will Hay film 'Those Were the Days'.
It closed in May 2001 after the opening of the new Cineworld complex at the Central Retail Park.
When they were first unveiled seven years ago, the plans for another nightclub in the town sparked fury among local residents who feared noise and vandalism in the area would escalate as a result.
Work on the conversion had to be halted last summer when a 56-year-old Polish worker died after falling from the fourth level when a concrete floor collapsed. A 39-year-old from Cumbernauld also broke bones in the fall.
Building work resumed on the site after the Health and Safety Executive had carried out a full investigation.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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