Queens Mall Cinema 3 & Arcade

Located in the Queens-Magnolia Terrace neighborhood was the Queens Mall Cinema 3 & Arcade. The Queens 3 was a short-lived, mostly forgotten attempt to bring a family entertainment center to the Queen Lane’s subdivision. It only advertised in 1980 so - while exact information is limited - the conditions that brought it about are well known. Also, the building housing it is still standing and in use as part of a prep school in the 2020’s.

Acme Realty had created this mid-century, master-planned suburban community in 1956 with thematic street names - a dozen historical queens - to give the sense of royalty despite its limiting factor - a strict cap of 1,200 square feet per home by local ordinance. 475 lots were offered targeting first-time home owners at a modest lot price. Underwood Homes was the primary builder of the houses, many of which were still standing in the 2020’s.

In 1970, nearby Clinton, Mississippi, had doubled its population and it would double again in 1980. So the Queens Lane subdivision had finally begun a growth spurt - in part caused by Jackson Redevelopment Authority’s systematic displacement of citizens in the path of Interstate road projects and other plans. The subdivision benefited from its proximity to I-220. In 1972, a project on the drafting table as the Queens Lane Mall was announced. It was built in 1974 as Queens Mall West - likely so people who hadn’t heard of the Queens Lane subdivision would know geographically where it might be.

Queens Mall West was a glorified strip shopping center with a small retail mall hub - common in smaller cities of the era. It was anchored by a Roses Department Store and a Sunflower grocery store opening in July and August of 1975. The center had room for 25 retailers and attracted Radio Shack, shoe stores, and other usual suspects including its short-lived movie theater.

The Queens Cinema 3 & Swamp Arcade first advertised and likely opened on March 28, 1980 with “Scavenger Hunt", “Saturn 3” and the first of several midnight showings of The Ramones in “Rock ’n’ Roll High School". The Queens also played Bette Midler in “The Rose” in 70mm, according to its advertising. It ceased advertising within months, so exact closing date would only be a guess. But all indications are that it was an independently run movie house.

In 1992, the Queens West Mall was listed in all the wrong places including the tax delinquency roster and in the forthcoming sheriff’s sale. Sunflower was the only remaining anchor with Rose’s leaving in 1990 - likely exercising 15-year opt outs in leasing agreements along with other, smaller retailers. Reformed Theological Seminary beat out a topless bar and a bingo parlor interest in that auction. That would move the center to both a house of worship and a prep school that was still going in the 2020’s.

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