Wichita City Council members have voted unanimously to restructure a loan agreement that helped to reopen the Starlite Drive-In Theater in 2019.
The drive-in originally opened in 1953 as a single-screen theater. It closed in October of 2018 and its projectors were sold. A real estate partnership bought the property and leased it to Oklahoma theater operator Blake Smith. He reopened the drive-in with help from a $200,000 loan from the city, provided by funding from the city’s sale of the Hyatt Regency hotel. The loan was used to buy two new projectors and related equipment.
Smith told the Council on Tuesday that the theater industry has not fully recovered from the financial hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic and there aren’t as many movies available. He is asking to restructure the agreement to pay $50,000 now and then make monthly payments of over $2,100 through June of 2031. The money will go back to Council District 3 for reinvestment in community projects.
District 3 Council member Mike Hoheisel said the drive-in has produced a lot of great memories and he wants to make sure it’s preserved as long as possible.
