Brookhaven Multiplex Cinemas
440 S. Service Road,
Medford,
NY
11763
440 S. Service Road,
Medford,
NY
11763
6 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: National Amusements
Architects: Burt W. Federman
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News About This Theater
- May 23, 2006 — Brookhaven Multiplex Cinemas
The Brookhaven Multiplex opened in November 27, 1985, and at the time was quite “state of the art”. It is one of the first Multiplexes to come to Suffolk, and is similar in architecture to National Amusement’s Commack Cinemas. It had padded high-back and reclining seats.
The Brookhaven Multiplex is probably the final nail in the coffin for some of the smaller downtown small theatres closing, such as the Patchogue Theater and the Plaza Theater in Patchogue (of course Patchogue’s UA Multiplex also was a blow for the smaller theatres). The Brookhaven Multiplex originally opened with 12 screens, but on June 24, 1988 they cut two of the bigger theatres in half to form a total of 14 screens.
The theatre was very well kept at the beginning, but in the late-1990’s and early-2000’s it started to decline a bit.
Finally, it closed on May 1, 2003 when National Amusements built it’s new modern facility the Island 16 at LIE exit 62 in Holtsville which replaced the Brookhaven Multiplex at exit 64. The new theatre features stadium seating etc, which the Brookhaven did not. At first it was thought that they would keep both theatres open, but they decided to close the Brookhaven.
It’s sort of a shame because the Brookhaven Multiplex only ran for a bit over 15 years, and the building really is in good shape, although the theatres got a little run down by the end, presumable because they knew they were going to replace it.
The building sat vacant for a while, and there was speculation that BJ’s or one of those other type of warehouse type stores were interested in the building. It was demolished in 2007.
Contributed by
Chris
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Recent comments (view all 60 comments)
I saw a few days ago that the deal finally got approved and closed! Im happy I visited this site months ago and took pictures and a 14 minute video walking in the parking lot etc. Now to start going back here every now and then to see what progress takes place… It would be nice to see the parking lot and front by service road cleared away from all the weeds and trees that grew after the theater closed down to get a better feel of what the property looked like right after the theater closed down since there are no pictures of that anywhere…….. AND THE MOVIE SIGN STILL STANDS, to which I hope they actually take it down and preserve it and not destroy it!! Its part of history and has lasted all these years after theater closed so it would be a shame for it just to be destroyed after all this.
Maybe they’ll use the pylon for the OTB operation. Interesting note, the former Jerry Lewis in Lake Ronkonkoma, aka Lakeside Cinema, now houses an OTB outlet. And, as far as pylons go, the one for Century’s Whitman is still up despite the fact that the theater has been gone for a long time. Pylon for the Patchogue Multiplex advertises the new housing development coming in; the one for the Skyway Drive In in Greenport the local Lutheran Church; the one for the Rocky Point Drive In is just derelict.
The OTB was ruled out and will now be incorporated in the nearby Marriott on the North Service Road of the expressway.
Question. As I was driving a friend up Route 101, he mentioned that there had been a very short lived movie theater in what is now call the Sunshine Square Shopping Center, at the intersection with Station Road. ????????
The Sunshine Square shopping center was built about 1987, and opened as Sunshine Mall, and I remember it was a farm before that. I am familiar with the shopping center and there was never a theater in there.
When it opened the anchor store was a Finast Supermarket (then Edwards now Stop and Shop). The supermarket was originally where Savers and the Gym are now. Where Stop N Shop is now were just smaller typical stores, which they tore down completely in the middle to make the Stop N Shop. At the other end what is Ruby Tuesday was originally a Fuddruckers Restaurant, and then a few short lived small bars before becoming Ruby Tuesday about 10-15 years ago. The Rite Aide was always a drug store, Genovese before it. The rest of the shopping center were always typical smaller stores as they are now…..no theater.
Opened November 27th, 1985
Brookhaven Multiplex Cinemas opening Fri, Nov 22, 1985 – 500 · Daily News (New York, New York) · Newspapers.com
Please update, theatre open November 27, 1985 Grand Opening ad posted.
At rivest256, I had the ad but forgot to post it. Good resource for Nassau/Suffolk theatres is Newsday. You need a proquest subscription through the New York Public Library or any library on the island if you live their.
Thanks. I’m Montreal.
Driving past today I noticed the boarded up pylon is still there. The site is barren except for that.
Grand opening ad
Brookhaven Multiplex Cinema opening 27 Nov 1985, Wed Newsday (Suffolk Edition) (Melville, New York) Newspapers.com
Please update, theatre became 14 screens on June 24, 1988 and theatre closed May 1, 2003