Village Plaza 5
141 South Elliott Road,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
141 South Elliott Road,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
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The Plaza Theatres 1 & 2 opened on October 16, 1970 as Chapel Hill’s first-ever twin theatres. Located in the Kroger Plaza Shopping Center at the corner of Elliott Road and East Franklin Street that was owned and operated under Eastern Federal Corporation. At the time of it’s opening the premiere attractions for the grand opening of the Plaza Theatres 1 & 2 were the Triangle engagement of “Patton” starring George C. Scott and “Monte Walsh” starring Lee Marvin. By 1973,a third auditorium was added to its expansion to screen 70mm presentations and later on a Dobly Stereo System was added for its bigger features.
Two more screens were added in the mid-1990’s when the second auditorium and its third auditorium were split into two sections, creating shoebox auditoriums with smaller screens. By the late-1990’s, auditorium one was split down the middle as well creating two shoebox size auditoriums. It closed in 2003, and was demolished in mid-2004 to make way for construction of a new ten screen by the same name which would feature stadium seating and digital sound, something the old Plaza was not equipped for, that was to be operated under Eastern Federal.
The proposed ten-plex for this site fell through when Regal bought out Eastern Federal which lead to other factors that made Regal Cinemas not to build the proposed theater. The lot where the Village Plaza Theatres once stood is now vacant.
Contributed by
raysson
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
The re-release of George Lucas' STAR WARS played here at the Village Plaza I-II-III on August 11,1978.
From May 2,2012: NightHawk was exactly right about this theatre. When it closed in 2003,the proposed multiplex(a ten-screener)fell through when Knoxville,Tennessee based Regal Cinemas bought out Charlotte-based Eastern Federal and it’s Movies at Timberlyne 6(that theatre opened in 1989 on the Northern section of Chapel Hill that is posted on the Cinema Treasures site),and two other locations in the Triangle that were also under Eastern Federal as well…Raleigh’s North Hills 14 and Movies at Brier Creek(that is now under Regal Cinemas). Most of Regal’s North Carolina locations came from four chains…Fairlane-Litchfeld(the second incarnation),and United Artists(which bought out the first incarnation of Litchfeld). Eastern Federal and Consolidated Theatres were the other two(its final incarnation as an all-stadium theatre chain). Regal also had a hand in buying out theatres that were once under Cineplex Odeon and also Carmike.
There were other factors leading to the cancellation of the ten-screen Village Plaza Theater which was set to start construction in 2004 after the old Plaza Theatre was demolished. One of the factors was the building contract that was pushed back by members of the Chapel Hill Town Council and other parties who had other plans for this theatre. There were plans to built a ten-screen multiplex right off Highway 15-501 on the site where a formerly auto dealership stood(the former Crown Honda and Volvo)…There were talks of building a 20-plex on that same site,but that fell through as well. But the backward liberals of the Chapel Hill Town Council blocked the idea of this too. Rent was also another factor as new stores were set to be built along that stretch of the Village Plaza Shopping Center…(the Kroger store closed in the early-1990’s and was replaced by a Whole Foods grocer and specialty shops). Regal simply chose not to build the proposed theater on that site where it remains vacant to this day as council members recently made the former Village Plaza site into an environmental park. Comments?
A lot of good movies played here at this theatre first run…….
THE RE-RELEASES:
–“Gone With The Wind”
–“Lawrence of Arabia”
–“2001: A Space Odyssey”
–“Doctor Zhivago”
–“Ben-Hur”
A lot of good movies played here got first-run…….
“Airport”
“The French Connection”
“The Exorcist”
“Chinatown”
“Rocky”
“The Poseidon Adventure” (1972)
“The Towering Inferno”
“Purple Rain”
“The Empire Strikes Back”
“Terminator 3: Day of the Machines”
“Dirty Harry”
“Mangum Force”
“Beneath the Planet of the Apes”
“Escape from the Planet of the Apes”
“Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”
“Battle for the Planet of the Apes”
“Blazing Saddles”
“Young Frankenstein”
“Live and Let Die”
“The Spy Who Loved Me”
“Stayin Alive”–[the sequel to Saturday Night Fever]
“Indiana Jones and the Temple Doom”
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”
“Harold and Maude”
“A Man Called Horse”
“Goodfellas”
“Raging Bull”
“The Godfather:Part II”
“Sounder”
From 1970 to 2003,Eastern Federal Corporation operated this theatre. This was NEVER under Regal Cinemas. It closed in 2003 before Regal was to take over.
The Movies at Timberlyne 6 is the only theatre in Chapel Hill that Regal bought out from Eastern Federal…..
Other theatres that Regal took over from Eastern Federal:
-North Hills Cinemas 14
-The Movies at Brier Creek
Other theatres that Regal took over from Consolidated:
-White Oak Cinemas 14 in Garner
-Beaver Creek Commons in Apex
-Crossroads Cinemas 20 in Cary
About to be mention here as well: Regal recently had plans to built a multiplex right off Fordham Boulevard at the intersection of Sage Road(where the former site which was Borders Book Store that closed its doors in early 2011)right next door to the Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse that was convenience to nearby Highway 15-501 and not far from where the original Village Plaza Theatres were located. Guess what?
Regal rejected that idea not to build a multiplex cinema on the site of the former Borders Book Store,not to even mention the environmentalists and the backward liberals who are on the board committee of the Chapel Hill Town Council and the upper management of the powers that be at Regal Entertainment who decided not to do so.
However,it is still up in the air,as Ambassador Entertainment(which is based in Raleigh under founder and CEO Bill Peebles that has three movie theatres operating in the Raleigh area plus the Lumina Theatres at Southern Village that is based in Chapel Hill) is looking to add another cinema on that section of town where the former Borders Book Store used to be! Also eyeing this is Carmike as well!!!
I uploaded yesterday a 2002 photo of the Village Plaza 5 at night (the car in the foreground was mine). Raysson: your comments regarding the multiplex shenanigans in Chapel Hill are interesting. If Ambassador builds the new theater, it will most likely be eight screens or less – Ambassador’s largest current theater is the Mission Valley 5 in Raleigh. Carmike would likely put a 14-screen or 16-screen multiplex there, although it may cut into the Wynnsong 15’s business up the road in Durham. Still, I like the idea of Carmike re-entering Chapel Hill – it would be a thorn in the side of all those who pressured Regal not to build there. To the best of my knowledge it would be only the third Carmike built in North Carolina since they emerged from bankruptcy (Jacksonville’s 16-plex and Wilson’s 10-screen are the others).
Last comment should be: Ambassador’s largest current theater is Six Forks Station 6 in Raleigh – (not Mission Valley 5).
March 13,1974…Showing at the Village Plaza Theatres,aka Plaza 3…
William Friedkin’s THE EXORCIST….No Passes Accepted-Rated “R”
WARNING: Due to the frank and graphic nature of this motion picture,the management of this theatre has recommended that No One Under 17 Years of age will not be admitted without parental consent. Identification for admission to this feature will be asked.
Nighthawk1: About Ambassador Theatre or Carmike’s decision to build another movie theater in Chapel Hill where the former Borders Book Store used to be at the intersection of Sage Road and Fordham Blvd.(15-501) near Lowe’s Home Improvement……
That deal was rejected….the former Borders Book Store has been taken over when administrative officials with UNC Health Care and North Carolina Medical Systems decide to open a medical office there. The decision to put a movie theater there would be a striking blow to Carmike’s involvement of opening another multiplex there. So the deal is off. The only two mainstream movie houses in Chapel Hill are on the Northern end of the city is the Timberlyne 6 under Regal Cinemas,and the Lumina Theatres on the Southern end of the city under Ambassador Entertainment.