The Roxy Theatre is set for another grand makeover, with two new "luxury" cinemas planned for the complex.
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Owner Bob Brainwood announced the Roxy is planning to expand, with the construction of two new screens and a makeover of the lobby area and famous cinema one.
The Roxy owns the neighboring site, and this week lodged plans with Shoalhaven City Council to demolish an existing dwelling to add another two theatres to the five-cinema complex.
One of the new cinemas will have 100 seats, while the other will have another 220 seats, which Mr Brainwood said was needed to take the cinema into the future.
"There was talk of another cinema complex in Nowra and we are of the view that just would not work," he said.
"The cinemas of today are different to what they used to be and with multiple screens there's more choice for everyone."
Mr Brainwood has been working in cinemas since he was just 13-years-old, and has owned the Roxy for more than four decades. The art deco, old-Hollywood feel of the the theatre's facade is what brings many people to the cinema and Mr Brainwood said the upcoming restorations were all about bringing that luxurious and glamorous feel inside.
"[The current seating area] will be transformed into a luxury lobby with lounges," he said. "We will also put another one in where the new cinemas will be."
Cinema one, known for its Julius Caesar statues, will also receive a face-lift, complete with new, comfier seats, new carpet and a fresh lick of paint.
"A lot of people love art deco and when you look at the old cinemas of Australia that have been knocked down, it's quite incredible that nobody saw the value in these places," Mr Brainwood said.
"We want to keep that feeling going in here, and we know people like that because of the feedback we had from [redoing] the front."
Mr Brainwood has a new business partner who also wants to see the look of the heritage-listed facade moved inside.
"We are on the same page and we have the same style," he said. "The whole place will change and people will feel much more comfortable and relaxed."
Madeline Crittenden
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
