Shuttered Great Neck Plaza movie theater slated to become lounge with golf simulators
The now-shuttered Squire Cinemas in Great Neck Plaza, as seen on Nov. 10. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
The Great Neck Plaza village board has approved a proposal to convert the historic movie theater Squire Cinemas in Great Neck into luxury event space with golf simulators.
Last week the village granted the developer a conditional use permit to open the facility, three years after the business permanently closed in 2020.
The theater was shuttered six months after stopping operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsday previously reported.
The approval for a project known as Lounge X came with conditions that include restrictions on what time the business can operate, parking guidelines and a requirement to soundproof event rooms to limit noise.
The new facility will feature a cafe, bar, event space and another area with golf simulators.
Village officials said Tuesday that since the property is located on county-owned Middle Neck Road, Nassau County’s Planning Commission will have 30 days to review the proposal and provide comments.
A Nassau County spokesman didn't return a request for comment.
Mayor Ted Rosen said he expects the commission will leave the project in the hands of the village. He added that the village board gave careful consideration before granting the permit, and he thinks Lounge X will be a positive for the community
“The success of Lounge X will be a win for the village, in terms of bringing people into our downtown," Rosen said.
Kenix Wang, president of Lounge X LLC, said Tuesday he expects the next phase of the project will be finalizing the design before applying for construction permits. He said he hopes to open the facility in June.
“There’s a lot of work ahead of us and we’re grateful for the approval,” Wang added of the village's permit award.
The Squire was built as a single-screen venue in 1935, then converted into a triplex in the early 1980s, according to the website Cinema Treasures. An independent operator later took over the business and renamed it Squire Cinemas in Great Neck.
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