Regency Festival Cinemas to bring back movies in Indio
Indio residents will once again have a place to watch the latest movie releases without leaving their city next year.
The city council in October unanimously approved a purchase and sale agreement between the city's Successor Agency, the prior owner, and Indio Eight LLC for the Metro 8 Theater property at 81-725 Highway 111, but it was pending review by the Riverside County Oversight Board. On Thursday, the board approved the $1.6 million agreement.
The Metro 8 Theater had been operating in Indio for 25 years before it shuttered in March 2020 when public health measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic forced movie theaters across the globe to close.
Indio Eight owner Lyndon Golin last month said new theater would likely open some time in mid- or late summer 2022, “absent any pipeline issues, which has been an issue for a lot of stuff these days.”
Golin's company operates as Regency Theatres and has 27 cinemas across the country, including in Arizona and Hawaii. Golin said he and his family have had a home in La Quinta for 14 years, allowing him to become familiar with Indio.
Playing off of Indio's "City of Festivals" moniker, the new theater will be called Regency Festival Cinemas.
“We want the community of Indio to have a special place where they can experience and enjoy movies,” Golin said in a press release. “With new amenities and state of the art presentation, we look forward to delivering a product to the community that will make the theater a community destination.”
The theater facility will be renovated and feature new exterior finishes and architectural elements. Inside, there will be an updated lobby with a new game room and seating areas. A new concession stand will feature all the movie staples, along with a café and bar section, which will offer beer and wine along with prepared foods like pizza, chicken strips and burritos.
The auditoriums will offer reserved seating with luxury electric recliners, wall-to-wall screens and state-of-the-art presentation. The theater will also include a premium auditorium, with laser projection and Dolby ATMOS sound.
“This is very exciting,” said Mayor Elaine Homes. “For decades, Indio was the go-to location for a fun night at the movies. We are thrilled to see Regency’s investment in bringing movies back in such a big way.”
Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley. Reach her at eliana.perez@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Regency Festival Cinemas to bring back movies in Indio
