Wollongong is set for an improved cinematic experience despite hopes of a modern multi-cinema complex being dashed.Event Cinemas has confirmed a $500,000 upgrade had begun on the Greater Union Town Cinemas in Burelli St.South/ACT area manager Chris Nicholson said the decision to upgrade was made before a decision by General Property Trust (GPT) to drop its plans for a new cinema at Wollongong Central.The eight-cinema complex, earmarked for land opposite Wollongong Police Station, was conspicuously absent from GPT's announcement of a kick-start in its $250 million West Keira project last Friday.GPT development manager Steve Turner said the cinema was included in the original development application for the north building, however after the building's recent $30 million refurbishment, no further development was being planned.The Illawarra is under-serviced in the way of modern cinemas, with just three outlets between southern Sydney and Nowra, the newest a Greater Union complex at Shellharbour.Hoyts Warrawong recently carried out an extensive upgrade at its 23-year-old cinema premises.For the more luxurious Gold Class experience, cinema-goers must travel to Campbelltown.Mr Nicholson said Event Cinemas had been seeking to build a Gold Class complex in Wollongong for at least five years.He said Greater Union had signed on with Belmorgan's failed Gravity complex, reaching the stage of drawing up plans before Belmorgan was placed into liquidation."Then we were hanging off because of GPT. We were hoping to go into their upgrade," he said."We decided we couldn't afford to wait any longer on a developer, so we're spending a little bit of money tidying up the town cinemas."Mr Nicholson said improvements to the 35-year-old complex included the addition of modern, high-backed seats. A cafe with a barista coffee facility was also on the way."We've made the decision to go digital and it will also have a 3D screen. That will happen by the end of September," he said.A "quality movies" format was already being incorporated, the recent French film festivals and hosting of the Sydney Travelling Film Festival proving successful."What we're going to do is have good quality movies with a little bit of arthouse."Mr Nicholson said the company had stopped short of a full overhaul because it had not given up hope on establishing a multiplex cinema with Gold Class and G-Max options."We can't wait, to be honest. We were so disappointed when the other people went broke," Mr Nicholson said."Wollongong's in desperate need of it, especially the northern suburbs; there's nothing north of the town cinemas."We're just waiting for some developer to offer us a spot and then we will jump on board."Mr Nicholson said that even if a new cinema complex was built in the future, the Wollongong cinemas, located on land owned by Greater Union, would be retained and developed as an arthouse.Mr Turner said GPT had not ruled out a new cinema and it would continue to look at opportunities into the future."We recognise the city's need for a modern cinema complex in its heart and will certainly explore opportunities for this in any future development plans," he said.