Movie house to be demolished

The theater is slated to be torn down in late summer. A 16-month renovation project began last month with interior preparations.

Nick Ciccone/Herald

The view from inside the Burger Bandit on Broadway, across from the theater. Owner Chris Holmes said that he doesn’t think his business will be affected too much by the theater’s temporary closure.

Nick Ciccone/Herald

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After more than a decade of discussion about its fate, the United Artists movie theater on Merrick Road in Lynbrook closed its doors for good on Jan. 10 — the start of an expected 16-month renovation that its new ownership, the Regal Entertainment Group, promises will bring a state-of-the art movie experience to the village.

“You want to grow with the times, but in a smart way,” said Mayor Bill Hendrick, adding that he hoped the updated theater would improve the village’s commercial area. “I’m getting calls all the time — people want Lynbrook,” he said.

Regal first took an interest in the property in 2011, and its developer, Blumenfeld Development Group, considered several building designs over the years. The new theater will feature luxury reclining seats in all screening rooms, along with surround sound and bright 2D and 3D images.

The project, funded by Regal, will cost an estimated $25 million. The existing structure will be demolished, and the new theater will wrap around the Cuzco Peru Restaurant in a U shape. The municipal parking on the west side of the theater will no longer exist, which will mean a loss of 51 parking spaces. But Building Department Superintendent Brian Stanton said there would be 171 fewer seats in the new theater — a total of 1,434 — and parking regulations on Atlantic Avenue can be amended to accommodate peak movie hours.

Gutting the building

Stanton said that before the building can be demolished, ALL Construction Inc. will disconnect interior electrical and gas hookups and rip out the seats. A demolition permit cannot be issued, he said, until the interior work is completed. The building is expected to be demolished in late summer.

Once that work begins, Hendrick said, any traffic issues that arise will be addressed. “The fact that we have our own Police Department helps us greatly,” he said. “We can re-route and do what we have to do with the [Department of Public Works] and police that other places can’t do.”

Members of Hose Co. No. 1, the firehouse on Blake Avenue, behind the theater, will be given parking spaces on the theater property during the construction.