Plan would convert closed Squire Cinemas in Great Neck Plaza into luxury event space

A Great Neck resident is proposing to repurpose the iconic Squire Cinemas into a luxury event space with an area for golf simulators — an idea community members hope will bring life to the areas downtown.

Squire Cinemas in Great Neck Plaza permanently closed in 2020, just six months after shutting its doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsday previously reported.

Three years later, Kenix Wang, president of Lounge X LLC., is seeking a conditional use permit to open Lounge X, which features event space, a café, bar, and an open area, where golf enthusiasts can work on their swings.

The proposal includes a second floor with nearly a dozen computerized golf games.

“Great Neck is the town to be in and when we came in a lot of stores were closing down, so we saw the opportunity,” Wang said in an interview. “Our goal is to revive the town as well. We want to bring city life into the town.”

Wang, 41, who works in aviation logistics, said he wanted a fluid space, where people can host different types of parties and enjoy diverse cuisine. The proposed budget for the project is about $4 million to $5 million.

The Great Neck resident has presented his proposal to the Great Neck Plaza Village Board and will be in front of the board again Wednesday when it may vote.

Great Neck Plaza Mayor Ted Rosen said while no plan has been approved by the village, the prospect of increasing foot traffic in the downtown area is appealing.

“I personally am somewhat excited about it. It’s new and different,” Rosen said. “If they bring in people to their establishment, by definition they’re bringing people into our downtown.”

The market for golf simulators is already a billion-dollar industry and expected to increase over the next several years, according to market research by Custom Market Insights.

Janet Nina Esagoff, founder of Destination: Great Neck — a community group dedicated to the betterment of Great Neck and its villages — said the downtown experience has lost some of its appeal over the last decade, and was hurt during the pandemic. Her organization is looking to change that. 

“We’re looking for an anchor to draw crowds of residents and visitors back into our downtown, and there aren’t too many sites that are able to bring a draw from locals and outside of town,” Esagoff said.

Esagoff said they are looking for new establishments that display the Great Neck’s arts and culture and noted that Wang’s proposal is on the right track.

“I’m happy to hear that they have banquet rooms and stages planned, where people can congregate and listen to shows … we’re looking for that type of communal space,” she added. “We need private funding and all of these entrepreneurs to come back and we’re ready to support that.”

Built in 1935 as a single-screen venue, the Squire was converted into a triplex in the early 1980s, according to the website CinemaTreasures. It featured seven screens by the time Clearview Cinemas acquired it in 1998 as part of a 14-theater buying spree in the region. The Squire later became part of Bow Tie Cinemas.

An independent operator, who also once ran MovieWorld Cinemas in Douglaston, Queens, took over the Squire before it closed and renamed it Squire Cinemas in Great Neck.