PACIFIC AGREES TO PRESERVE DOME.Byline: Dave McNary Daily News Staff Writer Pacific Theatres announced Tuesday a compromise agreement with preservation groups over its plan to revamp Hollywood's Cinerama Dome, the largest movie theater in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . Pacific, which originally planned to renovate the dome by replacing the interior and removing the 86-foot-wide curved screen, will retain basic elements of the 937-seat auditorium and will add state-of-the-art sound, projection, lighting and acoustics. Pacific executives, who had previously claimed the Dome was outmoded and unable to compete effectively with more modern rivals, admitted they were impressed by the flood of opposition to changing the 35-year-old landmark. ``We have been moved by the passion and connection that people feel for the Cinerama Dome,'' said Michael Forman, chairman of the chain. ``Our goal always has been to ensure that it is the best place to see a film in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. .'' The chain also has agreed to scale back the height of the surrounding retail-entertainment center, which will include a 12-screen multiplex, restaurants and stores. The shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into will shrink from Verb 1. shrink from - avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier shirked his duties" fiddle, shirk, goldbrick avoid - refrain from doing something; "She refrains from calling her therapist too often"; "He should avoid publishing his wife's four stories to three in order to showcase the 50-foot-high dome. In exchange, preservationists agreed to support the project. The structure is the only geodesic dome geodesic dome (jē'ədĕs`ĭk, –dē`sĭk), structure that roughly approximates a hemisphere. Popular in recent years as economical, easily erected buildings, geodesic domes are geometrically determined from a model and may made entirely out of concrete. ``The Cinerama Dome is the only theater of its kind in the world and an important example of futuristic architecture,'' said Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy The Los Angeles Conservancy is the preeminent historic preservation organization in Los Angeles, California. It works to document, rescue and revitalize historic buildings, places and neighborhoods in the city. . The project, one of several planned for Hollywood, will occupy most of the massive parking lot surrounding the dome. Construction will start next spring with an opening date planned for May 2000. |
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