The Plaza Twin was shut down when the owners of the Empire Plaza took over a competing mall, New Town Mall, across Louise Ave. to the East. In doing so, they took over that malls six screen New Town 6, and changed it to the Empire 6. It’s footprint in the mall became a hallway for the Southwest expansion & creation of the “Sears Wing”. If you are at the Empire, there is a six door tornado shelter entry on the outside & in an interior employee access hall that bridges over the east\west hall, and that used to be the stage house of the two screens from the theatre, and the only remaining architectural remnant of the former theatre.
The exterior doors are in the parking area between the Sears & Daytons [now Macy’s] wings on the SW corner of the complex. There is a delivery hallway next to these that open to the mentioned hallway. If you cross this & enter the delivery doors on the other side, go down that hall, turn left, and imediately left will be a wide stairway that you can walk up & see the large space that is what used to be where the screens used to hang.
The ‘Empire 6’ was located on the south end of what was the ‘New Town Mall’ & was named as such the ‘New Town 6’. The mall was absorbed by the larger ‘Empire Plaza’ across the street, & changed name to the ‘Empire East’ and that changed the theatre to the empire name.
After many stores departed & the interior grand hall was eliminated, the only entry to the theatre became the South entrance to the building where the parking area was very small & forcing people to park in the west lot & walk an aprox. city block distance to the entry. And because of the inclimate weather of the area, many movie fans chose not to go through the hassle. After management changes & bad attendance it finally closed.
the marquee is still standing. the entrance & the sign are two blocks down on the photo above, & to the left.
The Plaza Twin was shut down when the owners of the Empire Plaza took over a competing mall, New Town Mall, across Louise Ave. to the East. In doing so, they took over that malls six screen New Town 6, and changed it to the Empire 6. It’s footprint in the mall became a hallway for the Southwest expansion & creation of the “Sears Wing”. If you are at the Empire, there is a six door tornado shelter entry on the outside & in an interior employee access hall that bridges over the east\west hall, and that used to be the stage house of the two screens from the theatre, and the only remaining architectural remnant of the former theatre. The exterior doors are in the parking area between the Sears & Daytons [now Macy’s] wings on the SW corner of the complex. There is a delivery hallway next to these that open to the mentioned hallway. If you cross this & enter the delivery doors on the other side, go down that hall, turn left, and imediately left will be a wide stairway that you can walk up & see the large space that is what used to be where the screens used to hang.
The ‘Empire 6’ was located on the south end of what was the ‘New Town Mall’ & was named as such the ‘New Town 6’. The mall was absorbed by the larger ‘Empire Plaza’ across the street, & changed name to the ‘Empire East’ and that changed the theatre to the empire name. After many stores departed & the interior grand hall was eliminated, the only entry to the theatre became the South entrance to the building where the parking area was very small & forcing people to park in the west lot & walk an aprox. city block distance to the entry. And because of the inclimate weather of the area, many movie fans chose not to go through the hassle. After management changes & bad attendance it finally closed.