Regal Gig Harbor Cinemas 3
5401 Olympic Drive NW,
Gig Harbor,
WA
98335
5401 Olympic Drive NW,
Gig Harbor,
WA
98335
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Regal Entertainment Group
Architects: Martha Ludwig
Previous Names: Harbor Mall Cinema, Harbor Cinema
Nearby Theaters
This small, nondescript theater is tucked away off a main street in Gig Harbor. It opened as the Harbor Mall Cinema on November 25, 1982. Operated by Theatre Development Corp. It had three small auditoriums, each having 198-seats. On December 19, 1988 it was renamed Harbor Cinema. In March 1997 it was taken over by Regal and renamed Regal Gig Harbor Cinemas 3
It closed on January 10, 2008 right before the fancy ten-screen Galaxy Uptown opened nearby. At the time of its closure, it was 25-years old.
Contributed by
Kate
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Hmm. When I submitted this theater, I listed Regal as the most recent owner.
This theater is currently being used as a church. The Galaxy 10 plex down the street from this theater is all video projection. I’ve been hearing nothing but complaints about that new theater and how screwed up the video projectors are.
This theater had all Ballantyne Pro-35 projectors, Ballantyne Model 7 soundheads, Ballantyne “VIP” pedestals, and Strong Super Lume-x 2,000 watt xenon lamphouses. Also had Strong 3-deck platters.
This opened as the Harbor Mall Cinema on November 26th, 1982. Grand opening ad posted.
This was taken over by Regal Cinemas in 1996 with plans to expand it to 9 screens.
Gig Harbor 3 expansion plans 11 Mar 1997, Tue The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) Newspapers.com
While there was certainly plenty of room on the property to expand the theater, it never happened.
The development of the Gig Harbor Mall was rather unique in that the first building was none other than the Harbor Mall Cinemas. Martha Ludwig of Sacramento designed the three-plex - a conservative size even for 1982 - and the entire facility was designed (other than the theater) by Rue & Butler Architects of Tacoma. Theatre Development Corp. of Sacramento was the driver of the project. The triplex had three, 198-seat auditoriums for a total of 594 patrons at capacity.
Locals no longer had to ferry or bridge to a contemporary film as of Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1982 with the Harbor Mall Cinema opening with “Rocky III,” “Monsignor,” and “Annie” supported by “The Secret of NIMH.” On December 19, 1988, the cinema did the unthinkable changing names to the Harbor Cinemas - a move that might have befuddled Harbor Mall shoppers had there been a Harbor Mall. And this explains why cinema operators would have been hesitant in the mall era of being first kid on the block.
Apparently Theatre Development Corp. left after 15 years or was bought out by Regal early in 1997 becoming the Regal Gig Harbor Cinemas 3 in March. They quickly analyzed the situation and an article boasted of a new 9-screen, 1,660 seat facility to be built imminently. (It wasn’t clear if the cinema might be inside or connected to the Harbor Mall that wasn’t there.) The article posted above explains how uncomfortable the venue was, how outdated it was and how “folksy” it was in the megaplex realm of comfy theaters.
The Harbor Mall and the new 9-plex developed at the same pace - not at all. So Regal simply kept the uncomfortable theater cooking along. In 2007, the project that was conceptually drawn up in 1982 essentially came to Gig Harbor as Uptown Gig Harbor that began construction. Galaxy was on board for the megaplex and Regal ran out the clock on the aged 3-plex limping to the end of the venue’s 25-year leasing period.
The Regal Gig Harbor Cinemas 3 closed on January 10, 2008 with “I Am Legend,” “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep,” “National Treasure: Book of Legend (or Secrets).” The Uptown Gig Harbor project opened with the Galaxy Uptown Theatre there one-upping the unbuilt Regal plans by one screen opening as a 10-plex on March 7, 2008. The UA looks to have been demolished looking at the aerials and as it was sold as a lot in 2009 (but don’t take my word for that).