The recent demolition of The Marketplace’s well-known fountain on Ming Avenue has raised questions about the shopping center’s future. While some Bakersfield residents are excited about the possibility of upcoming changes, others are concerned.
The Marketplace has been a community staple since the mid-1990s for residents, whether stopping for a bite to eat, catching a Sunday movie matinee or relaxing by the fountain.
In July, the Bakersfield City Council approved zoning changes in The Marketplace, which could include multi-family units. The recent decision has sparked the curiosity of many locals that want to know what will happen to Edwards Cinemas, and other businesses in the area.
“It’s a very important part of Bakersfield… it’s been here for as long as I can remember… I come here often to hang out with my friends, and I feel like it would be a huge void if it were gone,” said Wesley Fambrough, Bakersfield College student who was waiting to see a movie at Edwards Cinemas.
Edwards Cinemas is one of only five movie theaters in Bakersfield, and remains a popular place for residents to see films, especially those residing in the southwest part of town. If Edwards Cinemas gets torn down to make way for new apartment buildings, Bakersfield will reduce to four movie theaters. This leaves many residents no choice but to travel to a different location to see their next favorite flick.
There isn’t a lot of data on how many movie theaters a city should or can feasibly maintain according to its population; however, California has the highest number of movie theaters, 592 out of 2,278 in the country, according to IBISWorld.com.
San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles are among the cities with the most movie theaters, averaging about 30; their populations are more than two times that of Bakersfield. However, other Southern Californian cities with similar population counts, such as Fresno and Sacramento, appear to have at least six to eight local cinemas.
According to the Kern Council of Governments, Bakersfield doesn’t have enough homes to support the population and meet the demand for more affordable housing. The Bakersfield Affordable Housing Strategy included recommendations such as locating where new residences can be built for developing more affordable housing. California’s Housing Element Law ensures that city governments assess the housing needs of individuals from every income bracket so that rental costs are reasonable.
This information begs the question of how Bakersfield residents feel about this matter; would they prefer to keep a local movie theater in business over the proposition of building multi-family housing units, even if needed?
“Homelessness and affordable housing are major issues here,” said CeCe Packham, a Bakersfield native of 42 years. “Housing is necessary; movie theaters are not. Four theaters seem excessive, so we can definitely go without the fifth.”
It is unclear what the future holds for Edwards Cinemas and other businesses in The Marketplace, but residents can find current updates on The Marketplace website. The Runner reached out to The Marketplace owners, First Washington Reality for more details but did not receive a response.
