Man, they were in before the break with Covid! Hopefully, after Covid is under control, someone can reopen this cinema. It is a shame that Statesville doesn’t have their own cinema anymore.
Newtowne still stands. Old site of Village Inn Pizza was demolished a few months ago. Weird seeing it from the highway without the old Village Inn A-frame there. I’d imagine Newtowne is not much further from demolition. This whole area is pretty much a ghosttown outside of the Starbucks near the front.
This property, which has continued to look like a drive-in property with the ramps in tact off I-77 since closure, is currently being developed into a car dealership for Randy Marion.
I was driving by on the way back from Atlanta and decided to swing by this drive-in. There’s a no trespassing sign, so we just pulled into the main entrance and didn’t go on the actual grounds. I inquired with the owner several months ago about buying it, but they already had sold to his brother and didn’t know what the plans were. It’s still defunct and doesn’t look like anything is happening anytime soon. The screen is starting to get holes in it — sad…
This is probably the easiest restoreable former drive-in in the state and it’s up for sale. Only catch, they’re asking $2 million for the property as they’d rather see it turn into a shopping center like the one now across the street :/
Mount Airy’s drive-in is closed, just the following left: Badin Road in Albemarle, Bessemer City King’s Mountain, Eden Drive-in in Eden, Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson and Sunset Drive-in in Shelby.
The property is now owned by an animal sanctuary. They purchased in roughly 2009 and have a facility on the north west corner of the property, and use the rest to walk dogs, etc. Adding a good deal of photos of the property as it stands today to the photos section.
In talking with the proprietor of the animal sanctuary, apparently when they bought the property, it was as if everything had been untouched. Like when Hugo took the screen down in 1989, they just turned the lights off and left the property. Both projectors were still in the projection building even though the roof was caving in!
The proprietor of the property told me they took all the reels, projectors and stuff out and tried hard to sell, but no one wanted them. They even tried to donate to a museum in California, but still no takers. Unfortunately, ended up being sold for scrap. Wish I would have known, but a little too late to the game.
There also used to be an 8,700 pound small scale working train when the drive-in was called the Hitching Post. The train still remains in perfect condition and is owned and located at a gentleman’s home in Lexington, NC.
WildJoker, get in touch with me. I was scouting this location for reopening about 6 months ago. I’m not sure there is much grade left in the land and there is nothing usable on the premises in regards to structure, but I have some information on who owns the property, contact info on the last operator of this drive-in, pictures from last fall of what the property looks like, not to mention some quotes on screen, digital projector, vending equipment, etc. I’d be interested in talking with you, maybe we could work together as I’ve flirted with the idea of re-opening a drive-in in Piedmont NC for some time now. My email is — thanks!
raysson, they must have reopened at some point. Here’s the article from just 10 days ago (sorry I don’t know how to condense the link on this site): http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20131104/SP01/131109870/0/SEARCH&slId=2
Apparently, this theater is closed indefinitely right now. An article from the November 5, 2013 Salisbury Post that a main sewer line has backed up in the building repeatedly over the past month, and efforts to get the problem under control through owner Namdar Realty Group of NYC have been unsuccessful.
There’s a sign supposedly on the cinema that says, “The Landlord has not responded to phone calls or letters, and there is no expectation that there will be any corrective action taken to resolve the sewage problems. So we have no choice but to CLOSE."
Hopefully, this can get worked out, would be a shame to lose another cinema for no good reason other than a lousy landlord.
Land is currently for sale for $700k. Probably never going to be a drive in again at that price :(
Man, they were in before the break with Covid! Hopefully, after Covid is under control, someone can reopen this cinema. It is a shame that Statesville doesn’t have their own cinema anymore.
A Randy Marion car dealership now occupies the property.
Newtowne still stands. Old site of Village Inn Pizza was demolished a few months ago. Weird seeing it from the highway without the old Village Inn A-frame there. I’d imagine Newtowne is not much further from demolition. This whole area is pretty much a ghosttown outside of the Starbucks near the front.
This property, which has continued to look like a drive-in property with the ramps in tact off I-77 since closure, is currently being developed into a car dealership for Randy Marion.
I was driving by on the way back from Atlanta and decided to swing by this drive-in. There’s a no trespassing sign, so we just pulled into the main entrance and didn’t go on the actual grounds. I inquired with the owner several months ago about buying it, but they already had sold to his brother and didn’t know what the plans were. It’s still defunct and doesn’t look like anything is happening anytime soon. The screen is starting to get holes in it — sad…
Looks like the screen is gone now…from street view looks like it came down around 2010.
901 Grimes Boulevard, Lexington NC 27292 will map directly to the vacant land where this drive-in once stood.
Looks like the marquee is still standing as well, though it’s lost its luster.
Yardworks LLC setup here now. As of 2012, looks like the concession/projection building is still sitting dilapidated on the back end of the property.
Now a trailer park…
This is probably the easiest restoreable former drive-in in the state and it’s up for sale. Only catch, they’re asking $2 million for the property as they’d rather see it turn into a shopping center like the one now across the street :/
Current site of Mckinney Drilling Company. 1024 East Mountain Street, Kernersville, NC. Was drilling company as far back as 1993 looking at aerials.
Like hearing a story with a good ending like this one. So many don’t get this second chance!
Apparently, re-opened under new management. Good news! This theatre can be updated to “open and showing movies”!
Mount Airy’s drive-in is closed, just the following left: Badin Road in Albemarle, Bessemer City King’s Mountain, Eden Drive-in in Eden, Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson and Sunset Drive-in in Shelby.
What’s in the spot of this theatre now in the shopping center? Anna’s Linens?
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/heavy_winds_destroy_screen_at_the_midway_drive-in_in_minetto.html
Saw on Facebook this drive-in was demolished by a storm yesterday :(
Apparently for sale according to the UDITOA site.
Drove by this cinema the other day. Nothing was on the marquee, should be marked as closed.
The property is now owned by an animal sanctuary. They purchased in roughly 2009 and have a facility on the north west corner of the property, and use the rest to walk dogs, etc. Adding a good deal of photos of the property as it stands today to the photos section.
In talking with the proprietor of the animal sanctuary, apparently when they bought the property, it was as if everything had been untouched. Like when Hugo took the screen down in 1989, they just turned the lights off and left the property. Both projectors were still in the projection building even though the roof was caving in!
The proprietor of the property told me they took all the reels, projectors and stuff out and tried hard to sell, but no one wanted them. They even tried to donate to a museum in California, but still no takers. Unfortunately, ended up being sold for scrap. Wish I would have known, but a little too late to the game.
There also used to be an 8,700 pound small scale working train when the drive-in was called the Hitching Post. The train still remains in perfect condition and is owned and located at a gentleman’s home in Lexington, NC.
WildJoker, get in touch with me. I was scouting this location for reopening about 6 months ago. I’m not sure there is much grade left in the land and there is nothing usable on the premises in regards to structure, but I have some information on who owns the property, contact info on the last operator of this drive-in, pictures from last fall of what the property looks like, not to mention some quotes on screen, digital projector, vending equipment, etc. I’d be interested in talking with you, maybe we could work together as I’ve flirted with the idea of re-opening a drive-in in Piedmont NC for some time now. My email is — thanks!
raysson, they must have reopened at some point. Here’s the article from just 10 days ago (sorry I don’t know how to condense the link on this site): http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20131104/SP01/131109870/0/SEARCH&slId=2
Apparently, this theater is closed indefinitely right now. An article from the November 5, 2013 Salisbury Post that a main sewer line has backed up in the building repeatedly over the past month, and efforts to get the problem under control through owner Namdar Realty Group of NYC have been unsuccessful.
There’s a sign supposedly on the cinema that says, “The Landlord has not responded to phone calls or letters, and there is no expectation that there will be any corrective action taken to resolve the sewage problems. So we have no choice but to CLOSE."
Hopefully, this can get worked out, would be a shame to lose another cinema for no good reason other than a lousy landlord.