The Edge Theater received approval for an incentive of $10,000 per month, $120,000 in total, by the City of Greenville at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
The incentive is for a period of 12 months and was approved by the board pursuant to resolution 2022-5. The board pointed out that the incentive would only be valid for one year.
Dee Blackmon, City Clerk of Greenville, explained that The Edge Theater had been closed for two years due to COVID.
“They suffered a huge financial loss,” Blackmon said. “The city is trying to help the movie theater stay open and to help our school system as well.”
In return for the incentive, the theater will allow groups of children ages 4 to 18 free access to films that have previously screened in the theater.
“That includes other bands,” Blackmon said. “If the football team or the theater team, or whoever it is, wants to go see a movie, they just have to contact the theater and they’ll get the movie, if they can, that’s for them. will be beneficial to watch.”
“We’ve been through some tough years,” Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon said. “(The theatre) will also try to give the kids something to take home that will give them a break from what the parents would be spending when they get back. In other words, trying to get them back to the movies and increasing that. It’s a difficult time for cinema. We will try this for a year and see how it works. We will do everything to keep the cinema open. »
