Southampton Village on path to raise curtain on closed movie theater

The silver screen is on pace to once again shine in Southampton Village.

Potential new owners of the village's movie theater — shuttered for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic — have come forward to say they are in contract to buy the building.

The buyer, identified in a news release as Hill Street Cinema LLC, said the plan is to reopen the space for movies and cultural events. The four-screen theater was most recently operated by Regal Cinemas.

“The purchase was motivated by our fervent desire to preserve this essential component of Southampton Village’s culture as well as reactivating the building’s distinctive architecture, which has anchored the community’s center for many years,” said the release, sent on behalf of the buyer. “Our cinema has entertained generations of families throughout the East End of Long Island.”

The news release did not disclose the agreed selling price. An email sent to the address listed on the news release was not returned.

The Colonial-style movie house at 43 Hill St. was constructed by Michael Glynne in 1932 as the 1,062-seat Glynne’s Southampton Theatre, featuring an opulent auditorium known for its massive chandelier, according to the release. More than a half-century later, United Artists demolished the auditorium and replaced it with four theaters.

Last year, longtime building owner Ken Karlin announced the cinema would not reopen amid uncertainty in the movie theater industry. It was most recently on the market for $8.9 million, according to an online listing.

Karlin did not return a call seeking comment.

Concerns over COVID-19 transmission and pandemic protocols slashed movie attendance nationwide and raised fears over the future of moviegoing, even after chains like Regal began reopening in late 2020.

Total domestic box office sales nationwide in 2021 were about $4.5 billion, or about 60% lower than 2019's $11.3 billion, according to Box Office Mojo, a website that tracks movie theater revenue. More recent numbers do, however, point to some improvements. Gross sales in July approached pre-pandemic levels with $1.1 billion, down about 12% from the nearly $1.3 billion in July 2019.

A potential new owner for the village theater was welcome news, said Mayor Jesse Warren. Zoning changes would allow for a range of businesses there, Warren said. The village Architectural Review Board has considered making the building’s facade a landmark, and a new arts and culture overlay zoning district offering further protections is also recommended for study in the village’s master plan, expected to be adopted next month, the mayor said.

“The last thing we wanted was a pharmacy or supermarket or a department store,” Warren said. “And that’s certainly not going to happen.”

Warren noted that several art institutions have anchored in the village in recent years including the Peter Marino Art Foundation on Jobs Lane and a Christie’s gallery on Pond Lane. A movie theater is a natural complement for those offerings.

“I think it's an important historical institution that a lot of people have come to love,” he said.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.