AMC Theatres Wants NYC's Endangered Kips Bay Multiplex To Remain But Decision "Not Ours To Make"; Scheduled Closing Date Announced
News Source
β’Sat, 24 Oct 2026 16:50:06 +0000
π° What Happened
AMC Theatres chief executive Adam Aron says the company wants to keep its Kips Bay 15 cinema in Manhattan open, but the decision is not AMC's to make. He put the case in an open letter to the neighbourhood.
Aron says the building's owner has ended the lease because NYU Langone Health wants the site to expand. AMC says it offered alternatives that would let the cinema keep running, and that all were rejected.
Unless a deal is reached, the lights go out on 3 January, about two and a half months away. The cinema has been a hub on Second Avenue since 1999, and AMC took it over in 2006.
π The Backstory
Residents and nearby businesses have campaigned against the closure since August, when AMC first warned the sale of the property could end the cinema. AMC runs nine multiplexes in Manhattan.
Manhattan borough president Brad Hoylman-Sigal raised the issue directly with AMC, and Aron agreed the area needs amenities like a cinema, a supermarket and housing.
In the letter, Aron called on NYU Langone to think creatively so the neighbourhood could keep both expanded medical facilities and a working cinema.
π― Why It Matters
A cinema closing changes a neighbourhood: fewer places to meet and one less reason to visit nearby shops. Residents now have about two months to push for a deal.
AMC Theatres chief executive Adam Aron says the company wants to keep its Kips Bay 15 cinema in Manhattan open, but the decision is not AMC's to make. He put the case in an open letter to the neighbourhood.
Aron says the building's owner has ended the lease because NYU Langone Health wants the site to expand. AMC says it offered alternatives that would let the cinema keep running, and that all were rejected.
Unless a deal is reached, the lights go out on 3 January, about two and a half months away. The cinema has been a hub on Second Avenue since 1999, and AMC took it over in 2006.
Residents and nearby businesses have campaigned against the closure since August, when AMC first warned the sale of the property could end the cinema. AMC runs nine multiplexes in Manhattan.
Manhattan borough president Brad Hoylman-Sigal raised the issue directly with AMC, and Aron agreed the area needs amenities like a cinema, a supermarket and housing.
In the letter, Aron called on NYU Langone to think creatively so the neighbourhood could keep both expanded medical facilities and a working cinema.
A cinema closing changes a neighbourhood: fewer places to meet and one less reason to visit nearby shops. Residents now have about two months to push for a deal.