Overview: The 24:1 Cinema in Pagedale, Missouri, is a four-screen, 375-seat independent movie theater operated by community development organization Beyond Housing. Built along Page Avenue in November 2015 to serve the Normandy School District footprint, the venue pairs $5 first-run films and community events with broader economic revitalizations—including affordable housing, primary healthcare, banking, and retail—proving that accessible entertainment plays a fundamental role in reversing long-term neighborhood disinvestment.
From $5 first-run tickets to grassroots economic revival, this neighborhood theater proves that local entertainment is essential infrastructure for community health.
24:1 Cinema Brings Entertainment, Investment and Community to Pagedale
The neighborhood cinema on Page Avenue represents more than a place to watch the latest films—it is part of a broader effort to bring amenities, economic development and renewed community life to North St. Louis County.
In the heart of Pagedale, the lights of a movie marquee tell a story that extends well beyond what is showing on the big screen.
The 24:1 Cinema, located at 6755 Page Avenue, is a four-screen neighborhood movie theater offering first-run films with a delightful concession stand. But its significance can also be measured by what surrounds it—and what the theater represents to a community that experienced decades of disinvestment.
The cinema is part of a much larger community-development story involving Pagedale, Beyond Housing, a nationally recognized community development organization, and 24 (now 22 following mergers) other surrounding communities that make up the footprint for the Normandy School District.
For residents, having a movie theater close to home provides something simple but important: a place where families can gather, young people can spend time, couples can enjoy an evening out and neighbors can share an experience without necessarily traveling outside their community.
Linda Robinson, part of Beyond Housing’s Gift Officer/Business Development, described the impact of a theater as bringing hope and creating a thriving community space for residents.
“Residents wanted a movie theater in their own community—a place where they could enjoy a movie close to home at a price they could afford,” Robinson says. “The 24:1 Cinema reflects that vision and Beyond Housing’s commitment to listening to residents and investing in the places that bring a community together.”
The theater takes its name from the 24:1 Initiative, which brought together the 24 municipalities around one initial shared vision: strong communities, engaged families and successful children. Shaped by the priorities of residents and local leaders, the cinema brings that vision to life as a neighborhood asset—providing entertainment close to home, creating job opportunities and giving people a welcoming place to gather and connect.24:1, reflects a vision shaped by a consensus among residents and elected officials about what they wanted close to where they lived and that would bring job opportunities to residents.
Beyond Housing, led by President/CEO Chris Krehmeyer, envisioned the 24:1 Cinema project in collaboration with municipal mayors, especially former Pagedale Mayor Mary L. Carter.
As part of Beyond Housing’s business development, Robinson’s role is to raise awareness about the theater beyond the 24:1 community to position it as a revenue generator.
“One of my roles is to introduce more people across the St. Louis region to everything the 24:1 Cinema has to offer,” says Linda Robinson. “Businesses can bring employees together for a team outing or sponsor a movie experience for local families. Community organizations can host panel discussions, speaker series and private screenings, and families can celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. My goal is to help people see the possibilities and make the cinema a place they turn to for entertainment, connection and celebration.”
Bringing the Movies Back Home
When 24:1 Cinema opened in November 2015, it represented an unusual investment—a new, independent movie theater opening in a community better known for the businesses and services it had lost.
The theater opened with approximately 375 seats. It features $5 movies and weekly series including Throwback Wednesdays, Big Screen Date Night, Senior Fridays, and Family Movie Sundays. It not only provided affordable entertainment but also created jobs for people from the surrounding community.
But the theater was never intended to stand alone.
It became one piece of a broader redevelopment strategy along Page Avenue that has included housing, banking, healthcare, businesses, and other community amenities. Examples include Rosie Shields Manor Senior Living, Affinia Healthcare, Midwest BankCentre, and Carter Commons Food Court.
The Meaning Behind “24:1”
The name itself reflects the larger mission.
The 24:1 Community grew from conversations beginning in 2008 among residents, municipal leaders and Beyond Housing about how to address decades of disinvestment and decline within the Normandy school’s footprint.
Pagedale became one of the most visible examples of that strategy.
The City of Pagedale’s partnership with Beyond Housing has included new and rehabilitated housing, family-support programs, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization. The 24:1 Initiative formally emerged in 2009 as a place-based approach intended to address multiple community needs rather than focusing on a single issue.
The philosophy was straightforward: improving a neighborhood requires more than building houses. Families also need access to food, healthcare, banking, jobs, businesses, education—and places to enjoy life.
This is where 24:1 Cinema comes in.
Entertainment as Community Development
Movie theaters aren’t typically discussed alongside affordable housing, healthcare or financial services when communities talk about redevelopment. But quality of life includes recreation.
Before the cinema opened, Pagedale’s redevelopment efforts had already brought significant changes to the Page Avenue corridor, including a grocery store, senior housing, and a full-service bank. The movie theater added another element: entertainment.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation highlighted the cinema when it recognized the 24:1 Community as a 2016 Culture of Health Prize winner, describing it as part of a broader effort to make Pagedale more livable and walkable. The foundation also reported that proceeds from community land trust-owned developments helped support additional neighborhood initiatives.
In that context, buying a movie ticket takes on a slightly different meaning. The theater becomes part of an ecosystem of neighborhood investment.
A Place for More Than Movies
In June 2024, that community role was particularly visible when approximately 250 people gathered at the cinema for the premiere of “Rebuilding the Dream,” a Nine PBS documentary examining the 24:1 Community and its efforts to overcome decades of decline. Residents featured in the documentary watched their community’s story projected on the theater’s screens.
There was symbolism in the moment.
A theater created as part of Pagedale’s redevelopment had become the place where the community could gather to watch a film about that redevelopment.
The Bigger 24:1 Picture – Popcorn Included
Yes, 24:1 Cinema is where one can kick back, relax, munch on buttery popcorn, and enjoy the latest first-run flick. Moviegoers are witnessing the rebirth of a community, thriving together.
“The 24:1 Cinema is a place where entertainment brings people together and opens the door to something more,” Robinson says. “Businesses can strengthen their teams, organizations can share their work and inspire support, and neighbors can connect through shared experiences. Each of those gatherings helps bring Beyond Housing’s vision for a stronger, more connected community to life.”
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