chip26 AMC said it close the 4/28/2024 the Theater is still open and showing films as of now. while the Theater has a less than idel plot it’s technically part of the shopping center on Catasauqua Rd it’s connected to the same side plot’s that the former Friendly’s and the Red Roof Inn were and looks to have been built on what was the Shopping center’s construction staging plot since you have to drive up a curved ramp to get in and hope that the Theater has the logo lit under the neon red arrow. they reallyt should have done the gold circle with neon AMC letters treatment to replace that carmike sign. hopfully the owners of the strip mall stil want a theater and shop for a new operator.
With the closure of the Classic Allentown 16 this is technically the last remaining of the Carmike theaters AMC aquired that has remained open. Being a 18 year old theater as of 2024 and on it’s 3rd circuit Rave> Carmike > AMC. I guess the fact that it wasn’t built by Carmike saved the location.
https://www.wfmz.com/article_7b5e8f84-00c6-11ef-94a7-17c1339bb8ab.html
sniped in the article by WFMZ 69 but we have quotes
“The manager could not share more information, including a reason for the upcoming closure, and an AMC spokesperson did not immediately return a message seeking comment.”
Apparently corporate did not inform the manager why the location is being cut. but later in the article the neighbors Primo Produce are already lobbying the local government to let them aquire the site to expand there operations ironicaly the company is owned by George Paxos the founder of Paxos Restaurants, which includes local restaurants such as Blue Grillhouse in Bethlehem Township and Melt, Top Cut and Torre in Upper Saucon Township
Marcus has removed the table service from the Theater and now requires you place all orders using their phone app or at the bar before heading to your seat.
AMC Theaters now offers Delivery to seat for online concession orders at this location. The former mcguffin’s bar is still closed and is unlikely to reopen until they regain a liquor license.
of the two Mall Theaters in Whitehall this is the only one to have any part of it’s structure intact. when the space was sold with the unused anchor space they opted to not alter the mall interior facades.
This Theater is the only big Multiplex in Northampton county since the AMC 25th Street Cinema 4 closed it’s only competition being art house theaters like the one run by Arts quest. this has basically let to Regal not actually giving the location a full renovation just room by room ones. this is the only multiplex left in the lehigh valley to have standard floor auditoriums the only other the Tilighman Sq 8 was upgraded to all stadium style recently by AMC
Michael R. Rambo Jr. from the Lobby Auditoriums 1-4 are on the Left 2 is the Dolby Cinema and 4 is the IMAX Auditorium. Except for 1 2-4 are 2 floor Auditoriums and the elevator in the Hallway acts as the ADA path to the top level wheelchair spots and the 2nd level of seats. 5-16 are on the right. the Fathom Events equipped auditoriums are on that side.
Auditorium 2 due to it getting gutted fully for it’s Dolby conversion is also the only Auditorium to no longer have the wall sconces that were installed by Rave with there R logo on them. The interior was redone to the Dolby Cinema spec and has all Black versions of the AMC wall sconces and recliners with touchscreen style controls instead of the pull handle used by the Red model.
As everyone has already stated after the Drive in theater closed the Rothrock family acquired property and built there auto dealership on it originally Rothrock Datsun. The founder aquired the land by showing a model of the dealership building with a removable roof that showed that of he failed the building could be sold to Hess’s as retail space.
https://www.rothrock.com/our-history.html
An Morning Call article on the reopening process for the theater https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-morning-call/20210403/281496459084642
Sounds like the did some construction work on the building.
AMC is probably doing more than just putting back there signs and logos and getting the liquor license transferred back to them. They are likely installing new seats and equipment to replace everything that was sold by the County that’s if they didn’t manage to bid for some of it back like the projectors.
But I picture some people have red recliners in there home theaters now.
From the outside it looks less like a multiplex movie theater and more like indie home video rental store. The lack of even a small marquee makes it look off.
https://www.mcall.com/business/retail-watch/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-area-movie-theater-reopening-20210219-4gcaubuk7rhv7p3icobga3k7b4-story.html
A new chain has aquired the lease and will be opening the theater as as the FunTime Cinemas Mahoning Valley 8. The previous owner left the property basically turnkey so it should be back open shortly.
Based on the others on the list that the federal government gave them approval to reopen since they were still on the lease AMC went and reopened the larger locations with the more expensive projectors first. This one and one in Sparta they still legally own but haven’t rushed over to reopen. And the Sharrifs sale only lists liability to New Vision Theaters so my guess is that there letting the county recover the post bankruptcy Debts and owed taxes. And clear out the stuff new vision likely damaged. Then when they are in better shape they can go and update the smaller theaters. Probably adding PLF to them.
What is a major delay is that also New Vision Theaters for some locations owed back taxes so AMC may have to wait for a tax sale to end before getting the building back basically amc is getting a shell to put new equipment in and a bunch of the smaller theaters may open as Classic with recliner seats.
Ouch the contents was sezed by the county of. LEHIGH for taxes unpaid on Christmas eve likely while AMC was trying to buy back the theater. If they get it back it’s going to be a shell.
This looks less like a failure to require since the Mall ownership still shows the building as “rented” but has the Anchor still as New Vision. seeing that its requireing you go to either South Whitehall or LC courthouse its likely a tax sale that started before AMC could even handle any lease issues. New Vision was that poorly run.
chip26 AMC said it close the 4/28/2024 the Theater is still open and showing films as of now. while the Theater has a less than idel plot it’s technically part of the shopping center on Catasauqua Rd it’s connected to the same side plot’s that the former Friendly’s and the Red Roof Inn were and looks to have been built on what was the Shopping center’s construction staging plot since you have to drive up a curved ramp to get in and hope that the Theater has the logo lit under the neon red arrow. they reallyt should have done the gold circle with neon AMC letters treatment to replace that carmike sign. hopfully the owners of the strip mall stil want a theater and shop for a new operator.
With the closure of the Classic Allentown 16 this is technically the last remaining of the Carmike theaters AMC aquired that has remained open. Being a 18 year old theater as of 2024 and on it’s 3rd circuit Rave> Carmike > AMC. I guess the fact that it wasn’t built by Carmike saved the location.
https://www.wfmz.com/article_7b5e8f84-00c6-11ef-94a7-17c1339bb8ab.html sniped in the article by WFMZ 69 but we have quotes “The manager could not share more information, including a reason for the upcoming closure, and an AMC spokesperson did not immediately return a message seeking comment.” Apparently corporate did not inform the manager why the location is being cut. but later in the article the neighbors Primo Produce are already lobbying the local government to let them aquire the site to expand there operations ironicaly the company is owned by George Paxos the founder of Paxos Restaurants, which includes local restaurants such as Blue Grillhouse in Bethlehem Township and Melt, Top Cut and Torre in Upper Saucon Township
Maybe Cinemark might take it over.
this appears to be the only magic theater to retain any of it’s branding after the rebranding project/
Marcus has removed the table service from the Theater and now requires you place all orders using their phone app or at the bar before heading to your seat.
AMC Theaters now offers Delivery to seat for online concession orders at this location. The former mcguffin’s bar is still closed and is unlikely to reopen until they regain a liquor license.
dan Bell filmed a video at this mall and showed the Theater exterior. https://youtu.be/l5NsVylQBWM
it’s actually sad that box office lobby was lost i beleve they put a aerobics room in.
of the two Mall Theaters in Whitehall this is the only one to have any part of it’s structure intact. when the space was sold with the unused anchor space they opted to not alter the mall interior facades.
This Theater is the only big Multiplex in Northampton county since the AMC 25th Street Cinema 4 closed it’s only competition being art house theaters like the one run by Arts quest. this has basically let to Regal not actually giving the location a full renovation just room by room ones. this is the only multiplex left in the lehigh valley to have standard floor auditoriums the only other the Tilighman Sq 8 was upgraded to all stadium style recently by AMC
Michael R. Rambo Jr. from the Lobby Auditoriums 1-4 are on the Left 2 is the Dolby Cinema and 4 is the IMAX Auditorium. Except for 1 2-4 are 2 floor Auditoriums and the elevator in the Hallway acts as the ADA path to the top level wheelchair spots and the 2nd level of seats. 5-16 are on the right. the Fathom Events equipped auditoriums are on that side.
A few locations with recliners were downgraded to classic. They even have classic locations with bars.
Auditorium 2 due to it getting gutted fully for it’s Dolby conversion is also the only Auditorium to no longer have the wall sconces that were installed by Rave with there R logo on them. The interior was redone to the Dolby Cinema spec and has all Black versions of the AMC wall sconces and recliners with touchscreen style controls instead of the pull handle used by the Red model.
The theater is back open the signs outside still say New Vision Theaters but a dead company is unlikely to complain.
As everyone has already stated after the Drive in theater closed the Rothrock family acquired property and built there auto dealership on it originally Rothrock Datsun. The founder aquired the land by showing a model of the dealership building with a removable roof that showed that of he failed the building could be sold to Hess’s as retail space. https://www.rothrock.com/our-history.html
An Morning Call article on the reopening process for the theater https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-morning-call/20210403/281496459084642 Sounds like the did some construction work on the building.
AMC is probably doing more than just putting back there signs and logos and getting the liquor license transferred back to them. They are likely installing new seats and equipment to replace everything that was sold by the County that’s if they didn’t manage to bid for some of it back like the projectors. But I picture some people have red recliners in there home theaters now.
From the outside it looks less like a multiplex movie theater and more like indie home video rental store. The lack of even a small marquee makes it look off.
https://www.mcall.com/business/retail-watch/mc-biz-lehigh-valley-area-movie-theater-reopening-20210219-4gcaubuk7rhv7p3icobga3k7b4-story.html A new chain has aquired the lease and will be opening the theater as as the FunTime Cinemas Mahoning Valley 8. The previous owner left the property basically turnkey so it should be back open shortly.
Based on the others on the list that the federal government gave them approval to reopen since they were still on the lease AMC went and reopened the larger locations with the more expensive projectors first. This one and one in Sparta they still legally own but haven’t rushed over to reopen. And the Sharrifs sale only lists liability to New Vision Theaters so my guess is that there letting the county recover the post bankruptcy Debts and owed taxes. And clear out the stuff new vision likely damaged. Then when they are in better shape they can go and update the smaller theaters. Probably adding PLF to them.
What is a major delay is that also New Vision Theaters for some locations owed back taxes so AMC may have to wait for a tax sale to end before getting the building back basically amc is getting a shell to put new equipment in and a bunch of the smaller theaters may open as Classic with recliner seats.
Ouch the contents was sezed by the county of. LEHIGH for taxes unpaid on Christmas eve likely while AMC was trying to buy back the theater. If they get it back it’s going to be a shell.
https://www.larkenassociates.com/commercial-leasing/tilghman-square-shopping-center
This looks less like a failure to require since the Mall ownership still shows the building as “rented” but has the Anchor still as New Vision. seeing that its requireing you go to either South Whitehall or LC courthouse its likely a tax sale that started before AMC could even handle any lease issues. New Vision was that poorly run.