Vacant AMC movie theater building donated to the Town of Apple Valley
The building that formerly housed the AMC Classic Apple Valley 14 movie theater has been donated to the town.
Town of Apple Valley Councilman Art Bishop told the Daily Press that the acceptance of the building donation was approved during last month’s council meeting.
Councilwoman Kari Leon on Friday said the building will be used for cultural arts, a museum and drama productions.
On June 27, the Town Council approved the real property donation agreement with owner Harbinder Singh of HS Cluster LLC, who looked to donate the property located at 22311 Bear Valley Road, Building A, town staff said.
With 2,600 stadium-style seats, digital cinema technology, and 3-D viewing options, the theater debuted as the UltraStar Digiplex in December 2007. It was the only business to open at the now-abandoned plaza.
In 2014, Carmike Cinemas took over as owner-operator of Digiplex Apple Valley 14 until AMC acquired the company in 2016.
The shuttered theater
On May 4, signs on locked doors and empty movie poster holders told visitors that the nearly 16-year-old AMC theater in Apple Valley had permanently closed.
During that time, town spokeswoman Sarah Krieg said that the municipality had offered to help the property owner and broker as they worked to lease the space at the Apple Valley Plaza on Bear Valley Road.
The nearly 55,000-square-foot theater and nearly 4.27-acre property are being donated to the town, with the town only paying for ongoing maintenance and/or staffing costs.
What next?
A staff report originally stated that there was no current development proposed for the former theater site. However, town staff has suggested several possible uses, including public meeting places
Additional suggestions include a performing arts center, San Bernardino County library annex, historical artifacts display or partnership use with local high schools.
For now, the building will sit abandoned on the west side of the plaza near Central Road.
Two projects that are expected to bring life back to the plaza include a new fuel station and restaurant pad, according to Krieg.
The two projects were initially approved in 2005 but had expired, with this portion reintroduced and approved in 2021. The building plans are currently being processed and reviewed, Krieg said.
Big plans
In 2004, town officials, the project’s architect GMID Architecture of San Bernardino, and property owner Louis Anaros of Andros Properties, Hesperia, had big plans for the proposed plaza.
During that time, Mike Pellegrino, adviser to the developer, said the plaza was 70% leased, and additional tenant leases were being negotiated, the Daily Press reported.
Pellegrino stated that each year, the plaza was expected to generate $2 million in sales tax revenue and another $250,000 in property taxes while providing 300 jobs when finally built out.
Initial approval of the plaza included the 55,000-square-foot theater, a nearly 35,007-square-foot supermarket, and a 10,020-square-foot church with a 5,220-square-foot yard.
Additionally, the plaza was approved for two restaurant pads, a 4,066-square-foot restaurant, a 17,313-square-foot gym, and 30,801 square feet of various retail projects.
Recession woes
In 2008, the Great Recession brought financial difficulties, including cost overruns, which prevented the plaza’s completion, town officials said.
The plaza’s owner had hired a consultant to work with a lender, the town, school district officials, and other tenants to develop a complete strategy, which was unfruitful.
Besides the theater, the abandoned property includes fully constructed 35,000 and 10,000-square-foot buildings and slab work for another 35,000-square-foot building.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Vacant AMC movie theater building donated to the Town of Apple Valley
