At the present time, the City of Vineland is in the process of revitalizing their downtown commercial district. A member of the Main Street Program, the city has created the Vineland Downtown Improvement District. “The Vineland Downtown Improvement District's mission is to promote economic growth and employment within the district, to enhance the central business district's commercial viability and attractiveness, to help attract new business and development within the district, addressing the wants and needs of the downtown customers and the community and to improve municipal tax ratables for the properties located within the district. The VDID is a vehicle for improvements, addressing specific and special needs of the downtown area, including marketing, security and maintenance.”

The corners of Landis and East Avenues are considered a gateway into the commercial district. The revitalization of this area is crucial to the rebirth of downtown. This factor is the overarching purpose of the proposed undertaking. The plan for the northwest corner (The Landis Theatre / Mori Building) involves preservation, rehabilitation and reuse of the existing structures. Minor demolition of a concrete block shed addition at the rear of the stage is required for both programmatic and site planning reasons.

In its present state, the Landis Theatre / Mori building complex is adding to the blight of the surrounding area. The dilapidated and vacant structures are considered an eyesore to the community. The efforts of the previous owner (The Landis Theatre Redevelopment Association) to renovate the complex have been ineffective.

Rehabilitating the dilapidated structure into a performing arts center would have a direct benefit to the community. The complex is listed as one of the top 100 architectural structures in New Jersey in addition to being a landmark structure in downtown Vineland for the last 70 years.

Various local organizations with serious interest in using the theatre have come together to form a committee to provide professional input to aid in the redesign of the facility. This input is crucial for the future success of the theatre as are the suggestions provided by the individual organizations.

The proposed reuse of the main floor of the Mori building will serve as a compliment to the new performing arts center by creating an additional attraction to the immediate area in the form of an upscale restaurant. Interaction between the theatre and restaurant will be encouraged by providing direct access between the two entities.

In conclusion, the impact of the proposed undertaking will have a beneficial and salubrious effect on the neighboring community and encourage adjacent business owners to improve their properties. The rehabilitation of the Landis Theatre / Mori building will greatly aid in reenergizing the pride once had by the residents of Vineland regarding their downtown area and serve as a major catalyst to revitalizing the entire area.

Alternatives to altering portions of the interior of the theatre would hinder the renovation process by limiting the spaces use to its original intent (movie house) making the project non-viable. Additionally, without alterations, the theatre cannot meet current building codes and accessibility requirements.

The proposed alterations to the Mori building are meant to compliment the theatre and provide an additional destination to the area. The extent of interior damage, including the floor and roof structural systems, prohibits preservation of all interior spaces.

An alternate to constructing the two-story addition would require providing all vertical circulation to be constructed within the original building envelope. Additionally, there would be limited backstage areas without the proposed addition. Without this proposed addition, the theatre component of the project would be in jeopardy with no additional required back stage spaces provided for the theatre to function as a performing arts center. Additionally, relocating the vertical circulation into the existing structure would make the available remaining space within the Mori building too small to house a full service restaurant.

To conclude, the alternative to the proposed alterations to the facility would be not to proceed with the project. Financial success of the project hinges on providing a theatre capable of generating revenue. This objective cannot be accomplished with the current configuration.

Mitigation could include filing as-built floor plans and elevations and recent photographs with the Vineland Historic Society and the Cumberland County Historical Society. This documentation could be provided in both hard copy and electronic formats.