Reading Cinemas to Rise Again

Reading cinemas have been closed for seven years. Two generations of Vic students have started and finished undergrad only knowing a dead building in the heart of Courtney Place. At long last, that’s about to change. 

Reading requires earthquake strengthening, and doesn’t have the money for it. After dragging their feet for a laughably long time, they’ve finally sold it to developers PrimeProperty, who will lease it back to Reading under the moniker of “The Court.” Reading Cinemas will still be the venue’s star attraction, but it will no longer be the only thing the building is designed around. 

That said, PrimeProperty Development Manager Guy Aharoni is happy to admit the name change is partially because “The Court” sounds better than “Reading Cinemas 2.0.” It’s a refurbishment and a refreshment, but not a rethink. 

There will be some tweaks, though. One is to let more natural light into the building. There will be a large new entrance on the Wakefield Street side of The Court, allowing light to filter through. 

This is because Prime’s goal is to make The Court an all-day destination, rather than something more evening-focused. PrimeProperty is negotiating with potential tenants with an eye for  establishments open at most hours.

Aharoni says the aim is to get some bigger ticket tenants first, then work around them.

“You build around the bigger tenancies because there are more constraints with them, and the smaller operators get what's left over,” said Aharoni.

“Because if someone's got an idea which takes up a quarter of the floor, then presumably they'll be paying a lot more to take up said space. The more you take, the less there is available for somewhere else.” 

“So we're trying to have the right tenant mix to both complement the cinema and have a venue which people go to throughout the day and evening.”

Given the sheer number of hospitality and retail outlets which have closed in Wellington over the past few years, one could be forgiven for expecting tepid interest. While admitting how interest could be better, Aharoni says they are still fielding plenty of inquiries. 

“My ideal scenario is to draw in some brands and operators that we don't have in Wellington. But it's a little bit more challenging in this current economic climate. We'll see how it all pans out.” A big part of the anguish over the loss of Reading was how it was a third space. You could go there and exist in the bottom-floor communal area without spending any money. The only other major third space in Wellington was the city library, which closed at 7pm. 

Aharoni says that aspect will be coming back, though its size may be reduced. 

“We do have a communal space in the centre in the current plans. It's not so much a food court because that’s a bit of a dated concept, but we do have a similar sort of communal area in the middle. 

“We're hoping the ground floor becomes a lot more of a destination in itself than purely a support for the cinemas.”

There’s plenty of work still to do as the building is brought up to code, but the aim is for The Court to reopen in mid 2027.