AMC University Place 8
1370 E. Main Street,
Carbondale,
IL
62901
1370 E. Main Street,
Carbondale,
IL
62901
3 people favorited this theater
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It Expanded On August 7th, 1987, Not 1989.
It Actually Opened On December 18th, 1974 As A Quad, And Expanded To 8 On August 7th, 1987.
http://thesouthern.com/business/local/beer-and-a-movie-carbondale-city-council-approves-license-for/article_c21eb79f-4acd-5b92-b3a1-2e7c235a82b8.html
There were significant renovations in April 2016 that included new power recliners like what AMC is installing across the country, also the addition of McGuffin’s Bar and a new automated ticket terminal in the front. All traces of Kerasotes ownership have been removed.
Now called the AMC University Place 8. Website: https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/carbondale/amc-university-place-8
December 18th, 1974 & August 7th, 1987 grand opening ads in photo section.
Kerasotes sued the landlord on August 22nd, 2003 to have the air conditioning units replaced and $10,422.62* for breach of the lease agreement. (Southern Illinoisan September 12th, 2003) http://thesouthern.newspapers.com/clip/2864642/kerasotes_sues_its_landlord/
This theater did start out as a four screen theater inside the mall across the road from where it is now. It closed in the mall and opened across the road as an 8 screen theater around 1987. I attended movies in both locations 1980-1990 before moving away from the area.
Became an AMC theater yet again in June 2010. Only theater to my knowledge that was owned by one chain, given to another, and reclaimed by the first chain.
AMC will soon have it back! Found this image of the theater regarding the merger:
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vintage 1980’s AMC. The only vintage AMC that they are still running is the weird last theater of theirs standing in Amherst (Buffalo, NY) – the Maple Ridge 8.
As of right now, according to the Kerasotes site, the University Place 8 is temporarily closed.
Story, with picture on thesouthern.com:
View link
This afternoon a out of control Saluki Express bus crashed into the east wall of the theater. Tore up the wall pretty good. Bricks from pretty much roof height to the ground (about 25 feet) fell, and a pretty good sized hole in the wall. According to WSIL a structural engineer has been called in to observe the building.
My husband and I stopped in here yesterday to see “Up”. We had a little time to kill. This place is okay—not much to get excited about.
I think I am a bit confused. Is the current eight-screen house a new building? If it is, even if it is a “replacement” of a previous operation, I think it should have its own separate entry with perhaps a note that it replaced a theater of the same name in a different location.
the University Place 8 opened as a 8 screen theater on August 7, 1987. It previously had 4 screens and was known as the Univerity 4. That theater opened sometime in 1979-1980. the University 4 was previously located in the University Mall before moving to the University Place location.