BERKELEY >> A busy Bay Area developer has grabbed a choice Berkeley site where a multiscreen movie complex is located — and where a new housing high-rise with hundreds of units has been proposed.

Panoramic Interests, acting through an affiliate, has bought a property where the Regal UA Berkeley cinema house currently operates, according to documents filed on Aug. 11 with the Alameda County Recorder’s Office.

The San Francisco-based development firm paid $7 million for the movie theater property, the county public records show.

The just-purchased property is located at 2274 Shattuck Ave. downtown, according to the county documents.The seller was an affiliate of United Artists, the public files show.

“Partial removal of the existing commercial structure to allow for the construction of a new 17-story mixed-use development with 239 dwelling units, ground-level lobbies, commercial space, and parking” is the primary vision for the proposed project, according to documents on file with the Berkeley Planning Department.

The existing facade of the movie theater would remain in place and the residential tower would sprout behind the entry area of the cinema house on Shattuck Avenue, a concept for the proposed development shows.

It wasn’t clear from the proposal how much of the existing movie theater structure would be retained, beyond the entry facade area.

Commercial showings of movies would not be allowed at the site in the future, a restriction that was filed with the purchase deed shows.

Part of the project would have a frontage on Bancroft Avenue around the corner from the Shattuck Avenue movie house entryway, the plan sets filed with the city show.

An estimated 24 of the 239 units would be set aside for very low-income residents, according to the planning proposal.

The average size of the 239 residential units would be 859 square feet, the proposal shows.

A cafe and entry section, and potentially other retail, are being proposed for the Shattuck Avenue side where the movie theater entrance currently is located.

People would also be able to enter the housing high-rise from the Bancroft Avenue side, the plan set shows. A lounge is planned on the ground floor of the project.