EXPRESSIONS of interest to operate the Pálás Arthouse Cinema are being sought by Galway City Council.
Located in Galway City centre, the Pálás Arthouse Cinema is a three-screen, 322-seater arthouse cinema. The cinema opened in 2018 and is located on Merchants Road Lower and owned by Galway City Council.
Screen one has capacity for 161 seats, screen two is 68 seats and tbere are 93 seats for screen three. Additional facilities include box office, kiosk shop, kitchen, with further café, bar and office space.
Galway City Council proposes to provide the Pálás without charge on a long-term lease to one operator.
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council explained, “This opportunity is a unique prospect for an operator to make a sustainable positive impact on the cultural identity of Galway City by developing a unique attraction for this iconic building. We encourage submissions that can creatively bring this building back into use and add to the diverse cultural identity of the city”.
Some suggested options include the re-opening of the property as a cultural space featuring one operational cinema with other areas repurposed for community and cultural use, the re-purposing of the property to become more tourism focused with a focus on cultural tourism, a re-configuration of the property to operate as a mix of commercial space generating annual rents combined with allocation of space for community use. This expression of interest is not limited to these suggestions. Interested parties are invited to submit their own intended site usage concept.
