SEATTLE — This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
A Capitol Hill landmark is going dark for good.
The SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) Cinema Egyptian movie theater is permanently closing after suffering from flood damage last year. The single-screen theater closed temporarily in the previous fall after a pipe leak caused significant water damage. Management ultimately decided to close the business permanently.
“After a lengthy decision process and many discussions, SIFF and Seattle Central have mutually decided to end SIFF’s current lease at the Egyptian,” SIFF Executive Director Tom Mara said in the news release. “Much has changed for SIFF, our city, and the arts industry at large.”
According to The Seattle Times, repairs to the building are complete, meaning the space will now be available for rent.
SIFF announced it ended the lease with Seattle Central College, which owns the building. SIFF still operates three other theaters within the city — Cinema Downtown, the Uptown in Lower Queen Anne, and the Seattle Film Center in Seattle Center.
The original Egyptian theater was built in 1916. It originally operated for many years as a Masonic Temple before SIFF acquired and renovated the building in 1980, reopening it as a movie theater. Landmark Theatres acquired the theater a few years later.
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