EVERYMAN cinemas have revealed some of the plans they have for the Grade II listed Odeon cinema in York.

Last month bosses at the upmarket cinema chain confirmed they had bought the historic building and planned for close in September for a three month refurbishment.

Now a planning application shows Everyman want to renovate and reorganise the foyer and, put in new glazing, remove a false ceiling in the first floor lobby, and bring in one of its “Spielburger” restaurants.

They plan to keep the current five auditoriums, but all will be subject to major renovations with redecoration and re-stepping to accommodate “larger Everyman style seating”. The chain is known for its comfortable sofa seats in every screen.

York Press:

Screen One will also see a new free standing screen installed in front of the existing screen, and plans appear to show the current 400 seats reduced to just 72.

The other four screens will have alterations to improve the acoustics, and reduce the number of seats.

Outside the building, Everyman plan to keep the familiar “Odeon” signage, but get rid of unsightly wires and add their own Everyman sign in place of the current Reel sign.

A design and access statement submitted with the application says: “The cinema has not benefited from a comprehensive refurbishment or improvement package of

note for many years, accordingly much work needs to be done to restore the building and bring the cinema back to its former glory.”

Overall, they want to retain, enhance and restore the building’s historic feature, the application says, and if the plan is given the go-ahead it will “positively contribute to the character of the cinema”, the document adds.

Reel bought the 1930s picturehouse on Blossom Street in 2009 and revamped it after the building had lain empty and boarded up for three years, following Odeon’s decision to shut it in 2006.

A Save The Odeon campaign by The Press, which called for the old cinema to be both kept open and refurbished, was backed by 13,000 readers.

Reel boss Kailash Suri last month spoke of his the decision to sell the York venue: “This is a unique opportunity for us to realise some value in our existing estate to be able to invest across other sites.

“York is an important city for cinema and the investment Everyman will bring to this building will be terrific for local customers whilst we will be able to accelerate refurbishments in the likes of Burnley and Chippenham.”

At the time Crispin Lilly, CEO of Everyman, said they had experience renovating similar buildings in Barnet, Bristol and Muswell Hill putting them in a “strong position” to deliver something exceptional in York.