In 2003 the site was purchased by property developer Mohammad Jamil, who runs the Britannia Property Group. When they purchased the site, Cine City was regarded as "too far gone", so it was decided that it should be demolished and a new building constructed in its place. A campaign to save the building was started in 2002 by the actor and comedian John Thomson, but it ended in failure six years later, when it was realised that refurbishing the existing building would cost around £6 million.