AMC Theatres Wants NYC’s Endangered Kips Bay Multiplex To Remain But Decision “Not Ours To Make”; Scheduled Closing Date Announced
AMC says it wants to keep operating its Kips Bay 15-screen cinema in Manhattan, but chief executive Adam Aron says the decision rests with the property’s future owner, NYU Langone Health. The planned closure has drawn protests from residents and local businesses, who see the cinema as an important neighbourhood amenity.
The multiplex has served the area since 1999, and AMC took it over in 2006. NYU Langone bought the property last year and wants to expand its medical facilities; the current owner has terminated AMC’s lease. AMC says it has proposed ways for the cinema to remain, but those proposals have not been accepted. Unless an agreement is reached, it is scheduled to close on 3 January, and AMC currently operates nine multiplexes in Manhattan.
In short
- AMC wants to keep its Kips Bay cinema open.
- NYU Langone’s planned expansion puts the venue at risk.
- The cinema is scheduled to close on 3 January.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Keeping the cinema would preserve a long-standing neighbourhood amenity, local jobs and a place for residents to gather, while maintaining access to a large-screen experience in an area with few comparable venues. Supporters can argue that AMC’s willingness to continue operating and its proposals for remaining suggest the cinema could coexist with the site’s future use if the new owner were open to an agreement.
The case against
NYU Langone can argue that acquiring the property gives it an opportunity to expand medical facilities, which may meet pressing health-care needs and serve a wider public than a cinema. The owner may also consider the site’s best use, practical constraints and the terms of the lease, and conclude that continuing the multiplex is incompatible with its plans.
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