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Closings
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April 5, 2011
Cinema Plaza closes; last remaining theater in Hunterdon county
RARITAN TWP., NJ — The Cinema Plaza, which opened in 1981 as a conversion from a former automobile dealership and barn, closed on March 30. Originally opened a a five-plex, a sixth screen was added in 1992. Rumors of its closing had surfaced repeatedly over the last few years. The theater’s owner is looking at financing options to build a multi-venue family entertainment complex nearby that would include a new cinema.
Reflecting on Cinema Plaza, Monsport said “I am very grateful for the wonderful memories created by our theatre patrons. The movie theatre exhibition business has changed dramatically in the past five years. It is no longer feasible to operate a theatre without the latest stadium seating, digital and 3D equipment. To bring this theatre to those standards would cost millions.”
The story appeared at NJ.com.
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March 25, 2011
New theater to open at Magic Valley Mall; existing one there to close
TWIN FALLS, ID — The Odyssey 6 Theater operated by Interstate Amusements at the Magic Valley Mall is slated to close by September, 2011, but local moviegoers will have little time to lament its passing as a new all-digital twelve-plex will open at the mall in December to be operated by California-based Cinema West. The new theater will be Cinema West’s first venture into Idaho.
“We feel that the Twin Falls market is under served and there is a lot of room for improvement,” Corkill said. “The amenities we’ll offer are comparable to what many people experience in larger urban settings. They are amenities that enhance the experience and what people have grown to expect and deserve.”
Corkill said the company expects the complex to draw not only TwinFalls residents but people from across southern Idaho.
There is more in this article at Magic Valley, which includes a sketch of the new cinema.
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February 15, 2011
AMC closes another former Kerasotes theater in Illinois
PARIS, IL — The Paris Theater a former Kerasotes property, was closed by AMC on February 6. The theater opened in 1924 as the Lincoln and was twinned in 1996. The nearest cinema now available to local residents is in Terre Haute, IN, about twenty-five miles away.
Employees of the theater told the Journal-Gazette newspaper in Mattoon that the theater closed Sunday night.
AMC Entertainment spokesman Justin Scott said Wednesday the Paris theater no longer “competed effectively in the marketplace.”
The story is here.
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February 2, 2011
Rochester’s Chateau 14 closes suddenly
ROCHESTER, MN — The Chateau 14 originally a ten-plex that opened in 2002, was abruptly closed by CineMagic Theatres on January 26. Performances for the day had already begun when staff were told to close the megaplex.
Florida-based Paragon Theaters says it will renovate the lobby, add a bar and lounge, all-digital Sony 4k projection, premier and reserved seating and 3D screens.
The theater will remain closed for a while for renovations and staff training. It’s expected to re-open in late February or early March.
There is more in the Post Bulletin.
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February 1, 2011
After 87 years, Lakewood’s Detroit Theatre closes its doors
LAKEWOOD, OH — Truly a survivor of a past age, the nearly ninety-year-old Detroit Theatre in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood is closing as of January 30. The theater, opened in 1927, was twinned in 1987.
There is a little more at Cleveland.com
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January 31, 2011
Current operator closes the Fox in Taft; removes equipment
TAFT, CA — The most recent operator of the Fox Theatre in Taft has closed the theater and begun the removal of equipment. The mayor is convening a special meeting of the City Council in February to see what action can be taken to stop further removal of furnishings and equipment. The theater had been facing foreclosure last November, but it was thought then that a solution has been found.
Lockwood said that the theater was losing money because of lack of attendance, and that he had finally decided to close the theater.
Lockwood said that he is willing to sell the equipment, fixtures and theater seating if he found a willing buyer.
The recent news about the change of events is here.
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January 26, 2011
Laemmele’s Music Hall likely to close in April
BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Laemmele Music Hall triplex is likely to close in April when its lease is up, primarily as a result of declining patronage, though the property’s owner is reportedly looking for another operator.
The story appeared in LA Weekly.
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January 21, 2011
Loew’s 72nd Street closed
NEW YORK, NY — The rumored closing of Loew’s 72nd Street East formerly known as Loew’s Tower East, finally occurred in December when its lease was not renewed. The theater opened in 1962 as a replacement for a far larger and more elegant Loew’s 72nd Theatre that once occupied the site. It was one of the last single screen theaters operating in Manhattan.
The theater is the latest installation on Third Avenue near East 71st Street to close down, as the entire block is now nearly vacant. The Victoria’s Secret next door to the theater closed as did a Bath and Body Works on the corner of East 72st Street. The only remaining store, Super Runners Shop, will be vacating soon, its manager John Pier said.
But the businesses weren’t forced out by the economic downturn. Their leases simply weren’t renewed, Pier said.
The owners of the Tower East building want to renovate the storefronts — most likely turning the four spaces into three, Pier said — and get new tenants.
The full story with some pictures is at DNAInfo.com.
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January 10, 2011
Oaks Theater closes
BERKELEY, CA — The 1925 Oaks Theater has closed and the property’s owner, John Gordon, is looking again for new operators, preferring to keep the theater as an operating entertainment facility. He says the the most recent operators did not follow through on their business plan and were months behind in rent.
John Gordon, the commercial property developer and realtor who owns the Oaks Theater, served notice to the group in early December that it was in default of its lease since it hadn’t paid rent in three months, he said. While running an independent movie theater is a tough business, the theater failed because Merriment Media did not follow through on any of its turnaround plans, according to Gordon.
There is more at SF Gate.
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January 6, 2011
Orchard Theatre in Port Orchard closes
PORT ORCHARD, WA — In 2007, The former Plaza Twin Theatre here reopened as the Historic Orchard Theatre but disappointing financial returns caused the current owner, Far Away Entertainment, to close the theater on December 30, 2010. The company may be open to a sale of the theater.
“With a major first-run, multi-screen theater nearby, we felt that a more adult-oriented independent and art film concept was worth trying,” he said. “It’s been difficult to attract this audience segment on a consistent basis, especially in the evening hours.”
As in all of its theaters, Far Away hosted numerous community and non-profit events in Port Orchard for local charities and civic organizations.
There is more in the Port Orchard Independent.