After serving the community for 30 years, AMC movie theater closes its doors for good

Shelley Terry, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
·2 min read

Jul. 22—ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — The AMC movie theater in Ashtabula Towne Square popped its final batch of popcorn and showed its last film Thursday.

The movie theater closed its doors for good Thursday night due to a number of factors, including financial struggles, according to Amanda Taylor, general manager.

"What has been communicated is that AMC was unable to reach an agreement while renegotiating the terms of the lease renewal, and our store was losing more money than it was bringing in," she said. "And, as such, it has opted to close our location."

AMC Classic Ashtabula Mall 6, at 3315 N. Ridge E., was Ashtabula County's only movie theater.

"Please understand that myself and my entire team are sad about the circumstance, but we are also thankful to have been able to serve such a wonderful community," Taylor said. "To all the guests who've ventured though our doors, thank you for sharing your time with us. We appreciate you and will miss you."

In June 2020, executives for the movie theater chain expressed doubt that it could continue, citing nationwide closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company reported net losses of $227 million as of the third quarter of 2022 and $224 million in Q3 2021, according to its latest earnings report.

AMC CLASSIC Ashtabula Mall 6 is just the latest in a growing number of movie theaters that have closed in northeast Ohio since the COVID-19 outbreak, as many struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels and face new competition against an increase in streaming platforms.

The six-screen theater was part of the Ashtabula Mall when it opened in 1992 when the mall featured Dillard's, JCPenney, Kmart, Phar-Mor, Carlisle's, and Sears as anchor stores.

Starting with Carlisle's closing in 1994, several stores left the mall in the next few years.

Cabot Investment Properties bought the mall in 2008 and renamed it the Ashtabula Towne Square. Despite the mall's renaming, several more stores closed.

The mall was foreclosed on in 2011. Sears closed in 2012 and now the space houses University Hospitals doctors' offices and urgent care.

Ashtabula Towne Square and attached properties were sold in February 2020 by Sure Fire Group, LLC to Kohan Retail Investment Group in New York for $10.2 million.