Plan to reopen theater seeks to bring movies -- and fresh popcorn -- back to Devils Lake
May 13—DEVILS LAKE — Popcorn could be popping at the Devils Lake movie theater as soon as this summer. After three years of sitting empty, a group — the members call themselves the Unpopped Colonels — has purchased the three-screen theater with plans to remodel and reopen it.
The AMC Classic Lake 3 closed in Devils Lake at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened.
"It was just sad to see that building sit there and nothing happen to it," said Patrick Streyle, of Leeds, North Dakota.
Streyle and his wife, along with Dean Bittner, of Devils Lake; Jeff Tuebner, of Cando; Marco Tollefson, of Devils Lake, and their wives, formed Unpopped Colonels LLC to purchase, renovate and eventually run the theater. Peter Foss, an area entertainer and builder, is also working with the group.
Streyle said the motivation behind buying the theater was to create more to do in Devils Lake, especially for children.
"There's not a ton to do in Devils Lake, and I'm sick of complaining about it. I'm sick of hearing complaints about it — I want to see some action," Streyle said. "I think it's good for young people to recognize that other people recognize that there needs to be more activities for them to do."
After asking around about the building, the Unpopped Colonels connected with a Realtor in charge of the building. A deal was closed on the building in April.
The group came up with the name "Unpopped Colonels" after a group meeting, at which Bittner noted that the closure of the theater had resulted in many unpopped kernels of popcorn. He said the theater will have a different name.
When the theater closed, AMC took most of the equipment out of the building, including projectors and popcorn machines.
"It's a huge remodel — we have to buy new projectors, we'll put in new screens, and we'll end up doing the whole interior," Bittner said.
The outside of the building will also need work.
"We have to do all new signage up front and give the building outside a facelift, too. The parking lot needs a lot of work," Bittner said. "It's quite an undertaking that we're finding out."
A lot of plans for the theater are still up in the air, Bittner said, and the group has a lot to learn about running a movie theater. But they hope to get the theater up and running in time to play summer blockbusters. After the summer run, the group likely will close the theater for more major renovations.
"For us right now, I think it's important to get it open for the community, so we're not going to do a real huge remodel, because we have a plan with some different stuff and maybe even changing the layout of the building. But I think we're just going to wait with some of that until we get our feet under us a little bit," Bittner said.
The property is located in Devils Lakes' Renaissance Zone, an area designated for revitalization. Projects within the zone can receive up to five years of tax breaks, pending local and state approval.
On May 1, the Devils Lake City Council voted to approve the project to remodel the building and resume its use as a movie theater.
Renaissance Zone project paperwork says Unpopped Colonels will get an estimated $50,000 total tax benefit for five years.
Bittner said once the state grants approval, the group can begin renovations.
The Unpopped Colonels' plan to reopen the movie theater is not the only recent effort in Devils Lake to create more spaces for young people and families. In June 2022, Devils Lake voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax increase to
fund a new family entertainment center
with a walking track, indoor playground, bowling alley and community gathering rooms.
Streyle hopes the theater will be another space for people, especially young people, to connect with each other.
"We're more connected than ever, and we're more apart than ever. It feels like that," Streyle said. "It can be a meeting spot for young people to actually interact socially, face to face, which is an odd situation anymore."
