 Famous Players put the Stanley up for sale in the spring of 1991 , with the condition that it not be used as a movie theatre . In the months leading up to the Stanley 's closure , Famous Players had a conditional sale agreement for the theatre with Vancouver developer Sandy Cox , who was planning to keep the Stanley 's facade and convert the interior into retail space . The Vancouver City Council received a proposal to change the building to retail use , which it approved , but the planned development was abandoned , and the building remained vacant for several years . During the early 1990s , a " Save Our Stanley " campaign was begun to preserve the building and prevent commercial redevelopment of the space . In 1994 , the Stanley Theatre Society was formed to try to buy the Stanley for the Arts Club Theatre Company , and in 1997 it purchased the theatre from Famous Players for $ 3 @,@ 173 @,@ 000 . Renovation costs , including sound and lighting equipment , came to $ 5 @.@ 8 million , which brought the costs of purchase and renovation to about $ 9 million , $ 1 @.@ 5 million more than the $ 7 @.@ 5 million originally budgeted . Money came from fundraising campaigns by the Arts Club and Vancouver TheatreSports , at least $ 3 @.@ 9 million from the provincial and federal government , a $ 100 @,@ 000 grant from the City of Vancouver , the purchase of a density transfer to the One Wall Centre by Peter Wall for $ 1 @.@ 2 million , as well as corporate sponsorship by du Maurier , who contributed $ 1 @.@ 2 million — although du Maurier would later withdraw as a sponsor because of federal restrictions on tobacco advertising . 
