What should replace the downtown White Plains multiplex after it closes?
WHITE PLAINS − With the Cinema De Lux at White Plains City Center set to close in October, there are different visions of what should replace the theater in the heart of downtown.
The 15-screen theater opened in 2005 and has been one of the biggest multiplexes in the region. The news late last week of its impending closing — Showcase Cinemas says it could not agree on a new lease — caught many off-guard, despite the hard times movie theaters have faced since the pandemic.
Zack Salino, president of White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations, said many White Plains residents hope the city will find a way to keep the theater open or bring in other movie theater operators.
"We are not sure if the White Plains officials were aware of this before it was announced," he said. "But if not, maybe they can work with the owners, Kite Realty, and Showcase Cinemas to consider all options to keep it open."
Salino said the city's neighborhood associations have not had a chance to consider what alternatives they'd like to see if a movie theater cannot be maintained. He noted the city is seeing a growing population because of massive housing development.
More: White Plains' Cinema De Lux at City Center will close on Oct. 29
“You have this growth happening in the immediate vicinity and now we’re losing this entertainment option, that’s unfortunate,” Salino said. "It’s too fresh for the community to already start brainstorming what should happen in the space.”
White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said he was not aware of the closure before it was announced and that the city was not involved in the process.
“I understand when time moves on people don’t like changes and they are upset,” Roach said. “These are not things that the city did. This is largely driven by the forces in the world that things change. When I heard about it, they had announced they were leaving.”
Multiplex was a 'social space for the community'
Ben Brown, a founder of the Coalition for Addition Without Subtraction, a White Plains residents group that is advocating for community-based downtown redevelopment, called for a transparent process that would include public input should the space be repurposed.
“It served as a social space for the community," he said. "It’s a large and fairly significant space and we do not know if there are existing plans to put this space into some other use. We don’t know if it’s going to be a private decision or municipal operations. We really are encouraging an open and transparent process.”
Some see the closure of movie theaters as an unavoidable change as the entertainment industry evolves.
Jennifer Furioli, executive director of White Plains Business Improvement District, a nonprofit that promotes downtown businesses, said people need to focus on how downtown businesses in White Plains are thriving.
“This is part of a natural process," she said. "Of course, it’s frustrating and can be scary for a downtown community. But at the same time there’s a lot of desire for businesses to be downtown right now and the downtown is performing very well. There’s something to look forward to."
What would you like to see at the White Plains location?
If you've got a great idea of what could go in the Cinema De Lux spot, fill out the form below. Your response will go directly to a Journal News/lohud.com reporter, who may reach out to you for future coverage.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Future uncertain for downtown white plains ny after movie theater
