Glad you enjoyed it. Last time I visited, one of the auditoriums smelled and as with the other theaters in this chain, cannot help wondering why it has not been upgraded. Heard that many area patrons either flock to AMC Bay Plaza, or Magic Johnson’s Harlem cinema…
Joe, many, many thanks for all of your insightful postings.
Does the theater chain or does the property owner generally pay for a new theater blueprint and is only a conceptual required if a lease is not yet signed??? Who generally pays for the conceptual rendering???
When they install recliners, does the landlord pay for the entire renovation or just some of it???
Read that due to the retail downturn, many retail chains now have extra leverage with leases, renovations, etc.
FYI: AMC Bay Plaza, Bronx renovations cost slightly over $ 7 million as per it’s listing on bidclerk.com for recliner installation and much other work.
For sale signs posted again on this property which was first sold by National Amusements in the second largest sale price in NYC for that year for the construction of a Woodbury Commons type outlet mall and it fell through for unknown reasons.
Then a big, big, NYC housing developer bought it for whatever…nothing happened…theater still stands in a borough that remains severely under screened with it’s population the largest ever.
Over 100 single screens in the Bronx back in the day !!!
Mark P,
This is a nice little multiplex, and although the seat counts are small, all auditoriums are very wide and feel spacious with very wide screens.
dave-bronx,
Can only guess that either GCC outbidded the others for Star Wars or they were in collusion with Fox that previously gave them the Westchester County, NY exclusive run of “The Towering Inferno” at Central Plaza, Yonkers, NY resulting in court case brought by Lesser Cinemas who wanted to run it at their Beach Cinema in Peekskill, NY. Google and that lawsuit is online.
Maybe they come not come to terms regarding their lease. RKO Century had planed on building a theater in Yonkers, NY as part of the current Costco-Stew Leonards site. They ended up in court over many varied issues and it never was built.
robboehm. See if the local press will update on the theater. Or if near the construction site maybe somebody there will tell you. Maybe revised plans have been filed with the building dept??
Not sure about the above theater chain project in the financial district, but the NY Post reported months back that either Cinemark or Cinepolis may build a basement theater in a soon to be revamped office building next to the Federal Reserve. Anybody heard if a theater planned for Hudson Yards mega project??
What theater chain is coming in??
Also, FYI: There are several subscription upcoming construction websites such as Dodge Reports, Bidclerk, CMD construction, etc that post detailed project plans( yes, new movie theaters and recliner remodeling jobs) for the purpose of soliciting contractor bids.
Was the showing of Dunkirk a test, advanced or just a private screening??? I previously went to a few tests screenngs here when they were more common, and have not seen the folks outside from NRG or wherever doing the invites lately…or maybe I am looking at the wrong time of day???
What a shame that AMC just does not care…and to think their major NYC theaters have problems after we all thought they would be so great…They need a major wake up call.
Hard too imagine that another theater will not be opened considering how mall developers are re purposing their spaces into food or entertainment related tenants due to the retail downturn. And is it true that this was one of General Cinema’s top grossing locations way back???
Since they installed recliners, then they surely would have renewed their lease before doing so. In some states, commercial leases are filed with the county clerk and are a matter of public record. Not sure if that includes NJ…
Is their “Screen X” three sided screen similar to the USA Barco screens???
Glad you enjoyed it. Last time I visited, one of the auditoriums smelled and as with the other theaters in this chain, cannot help wondering why it has not been upgraded. Heard that many area patrons either flock to AMC Bay Plaza, or Magic Johnson’s Harlem cinema…
Good stunt scene outside this theater in the 1980’s NYPD film “Shakedown” Scene, if I recall, is a cop jumping off the marquee on to a motorcycle…
The Enchanted Room was located diagonally above the theater. The Facebook page “I Grew Up in Yonkers” has gone into detail about it..
Joe, many, many thanks for all of your insightful postings.
Does the theater chain or does the property owner generally pay for a new theater blueprint and is only a conceptual required if a lease is not yet signed??? Who generally pays for the conceptual rendering???
Many Thanks
When they install recliners, does the landlord pay for the entire renovation or just some of it???
Read that due to the retail downturn, many retail chains now have extra leverage with leases, renovations, etc.
FYI: AMC Bay Plaza, Bronx renovations cost slightly over $ 7 million as per it’s listing on bidclerk.com for recliner installation and much other work.
For sale signs posted again on this property which was first sold by National Amusements in the second largest sale price in NYC for that year for the construction of a Woodbury Commons type outlet mall and it fell through for unknown reasons.
Then a big, big, NYC housing developer bought it for whatever…nothing happened…theater still stands in a borough that remains severely under screened with it’s population the largest ever. Over 100 single screens in the Bronx back in the day !!!
Can they claim this property as some type of tax write off??? If not, why didn’t they sell it off before retail went down hill??
Mark P, This is a nice little multiplex, and although the seat counts are small, all auditoriums are very wide and feel spacious with very wide screens.
Seat count as per their hard copy showtime schedule:
SCREEN # SEAT COUNT:
1 140
2 132
3 141
4 138
5 257
6 257
7 143
8 142
9 132
10 140
dave-bronx,
Good, amusing posting above !!!
FYI: Google Ron Lesser vs. General Cinema to see the lawsuit mentioned in my post above and join the Facebook General Cinema Memories group.
dave-bronx, Can only guess that either GCC outbidded the others for Star Wars or they were in collusion with Fox that previously gave them the Westchester County, NY exclusive run of “The Towering Inferno” at Central Plaza, Yonkers, NY resulting in court case brought by Lesser Cinemas who wanted to run it at their Beach Cinema in Peekskill, NY. Google and that lawsuit is online.
dave-b
Maybe they come not come to terms regarding their lease. RKO Century had planed on building a theater in Yonkers, NY as part of the current Costco-Stew Leonards site. They ended up in court over many varied issues and it never was built.
robboehm. See if the local press will update on the theater. Or if near the construction site maybe somebody there will tell you. Maybe revised plans have been filed with the building dept??
theatrefan,
Not sure about the above theater chain project in the financial district, but the NY Post reported months back that either Cinemark or Cinepolis may build a basement theater in a soon to be revamped office building next to the Federal Reserve. Anybody heard if a theater planned for Hudson Yards mega project??
It was actually invented in the early 1950’s by Ben Schlanger. Google it’s official name : RCA Synchro Screen.
Guessing that maybe the older theater will close when their lease is over and they are just waiting it out.
What theater chain is coming in?? Also, FYI: There are several subscription upcoming construction websites such as Dodge Reports, Bidclerk, CMD construction, etc that post detailed project plans( yes, new movie theaters and recliner remodeling jobs) for the purpose of soliciting contractor bids.
Was the showing of Dunkirk a test, advanced or just a private screening??? I previously went to a few tests screenngs here when they were more common, and have not seen the folks outside from NRG or wherever doing the invites lately…or maybe I am looking at the wrong time of day???
Comfortably Cool, many thanks for posting the ad above and which newspaper site did you get it from please???
What a shame that AMC just does not care…and to think their major NYC theaters have problems after we all thought they would be so great…They need a major wake up call.
Hard too imagine that another theater will not be opened considering how mall developers are re purposing their spaces into food or entertainment related tenants due to the retail downturn. And is it true that this was one of General Cinema’s top grossing locations way back???
Official seat count as per their hardcopy Show clock schedule:
1-158 2-156 3-131 4-112 5-341 6-215 7-222 8-200 ( Director’s Hall auditorium-a complete over hyped rip off… 9-191
10-409 11-170 12-126 13-339—IMAX 14-211 15-200
moviebuff82,
Since they installed recliners, then they surely would have renewed their lease before doing so. In some states, commercial leases are filed with the county clerk and are a matter of public record. Not sure if that includes NJ…