Why B&B Theatres wants to make a deal on former Alamo Drafthouse space

As doubts rose about Alamo Drafthouse's ability to reopen its downtown Kansas City theater, Cordish Cos. started contacting prospective tenants. One of those was Liberty-based B&B Theatres, which operates nearly 50 theaters in nine states.

"We hope we can make a deal," Brock Bagby, executive vice president in charge of programming, real estate development and acquisitions for B&B Theatres, told the Kansas City Business Journal.

Earlier this week, Alamo Drafthouse announced it won't be reopening its six-screen theater at 1400 Main St., which it had operated since 2012. The Austin-based theater chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a plan to sell to a group that includes Altamont Capital Partners, affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC, founder Tim League and other initial investors. Theater-wise, Alamo Drafthouse is roughly the same size as B&B, with 41 theaters prior to the bankruptcy filing.