Rialto gets green light

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After months of protests, hearings, recommendations and illicit construction, the Rialto theatre now seems set to reopen its doors.

Last week, the city's executive committee approved the Rialto ownership's proposal to turn the former theatre and recognized heritage site into a nightclub. In so doing, they disregarded the city's urban development commission, which had recommended reducing the site's capacity from 1,100 to 700 to reduce noise.

"Legally, that just wasn't feasible," says city spokesperson Francois Lemay. "The owner has an acquired right to host 1,100 people in that building and the city cannot arbitrarily change it."

Meanwhile, all soundproofing improvements previously ordered by the city have been finished and the interior work is nearing completion. Rialto manager George Ioannou is tight-lipped about the opening date for the Rialto's new incarnation, to be known as Rex Club. But since Ioannou had previously announced that Rex would open in December 1999, expect the launch sooner rather than later. : --Philip Preville

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