Ealing will soon be acquiring a new cinema, housing complex and dining complex. It is all part of a £100 million scheme, spanning two years. The location is in the heart of Ealing town centre, and is on the site of where the historic Empire Cinema, once was. The Empire Cinema’s iconic structure can  still be seen, as seen in the picture above, and the famous blue pillars will remain part of the structure of the modern building replacing it.   The previous owners, having become bankrupt, demolished the cinema in 2009. The project was initially handed over to a Development Partner of Ealing Council, however the project will now be finished by the Berkeley Group. Notable construction by the Berkeley Group include the BlackFriars Skyscraper in East London.

The complex will include an eight-screen cinema seating up to 1000 people, and over 70,000 square feet of shopping, dining and living area. Coupled with the introduction of cross rail to Ealing in 2019, this seems to be a prime real estate location.

Council Leader Julian Bell is excited for the upcoming project, stating that the scheme is “a fantastic way to revitalise a large part of Ealing town centre.” Other members of the public seemed to be more focused on the addition of the new cinema with one person stating “it will be nice to have such a conveniently located cinema.”

The project certainly seems very exciting and the community in Ealing evidently cannot wait for the opening of the new facility.