Petite 4 Cinema

The closed Petite 4 was gutted in a blaze last month. See the following article for more information:
http://www.belleville.com/mld/newsdemocrat/8238943.htm

This is a 2/21/2004 article about the closing of this theater.

"Lone Movie Theater in Collinsville, Ill., Closes Its Doors.

Source: Belleville News-Democrat
Byline: Will Buss

Feb. 21--COLLINSVILLE, Ill. --The city's only movie theater has closed.

The Petite 4 Cinema at 2002 Mall St. showed its last film Thursday night. According to a worker from Carmike Cinemas Inc., which owns the theater, the theater had not renewed its lease. He declined to comment further.

No one from Carmike Cinemas headquarters in Columbus, Ga., could be reached for comment Friday afternoon as workers moved machinery and furniture from the theater and loading them into moving trucks.

City community developer Paul Mann said he was not surprised by the move.

"I think it probably wasn't lucrative enough or profitable enough to keep it up, but I'm just guessing," Mann said. "I'm assuming they sold out because of future competition."

Competition was expected to come to town by next year. In May, Springfield-based Kerasotes Theatres announced it was building a 10- to 12-screen movie theater in Eastport Plaza. Construction was slated to begin later this year.

The theater's property is not part of the $60 million, 52-acre Collinsville Crossings project that city planners announced Friday afternoon.

City records show that the Petite 4 opened in 1973.

According to the Carmike Cinemas' corporate Web site, www.carmike.com, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2000. The Web site also indicated that the company has since closed some of its theaters".

This is the Petite 4 in 2002.