South Bay Cinemas reopens after safety issues are corrected, town says
The South Bay Theater on Montauk Highway in West Babylon on Tuesday. Credit: Tom Lambui
A beloved West Babylon movie theater closed for nearly a decade has reopened under new ownership after safety issues were corrected, Babylon Town officials said.
South Bay Cinemas, a small independent theater on Montauk Highway, threw open its doors Friday, according to an announcement on the theater’s Facebook page. It has been a community staple for nearly 50 years.
The theater passed all safety inspections and received its certificate of occupancy on July 12, Anthony Cardali, Babylon's assistant chief fire marshal told Newsday.
"We don’t mess around when it comes to public assembly," Cardali said of the venue, which has an occupancy load of about 500 people.
The building had been closed since 2016. Last year, owner Jay Levinson told Newsday he was planning to reopen the theater in June following a $1.3 million renovation.
But in June, the building failed an inspection by Babylon building, engineering and fire officials. Levinson was handed a list with nearly two dozen safety and other code violations that had to be addressed before the theater could open.
The building had "major electrical violations" with wires hanging out of electrical boxes and the system showing signs of rust and water damage, Cardali said last year.
Reached on Friday, Levinson said he was no longer the venue’s owner.
"I had to get out," he said. "The town cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars for nonsense . . . every little thing the town wanted, it was ridiculous."
The building has new fire alarms and sprinklers and all construction has been completed, Cardali said. "It just took them a very long time," he said.
Levinson said he sold the theater "a number of months ago."
The new owner could not be reached for comment.
The theater’s phone is out of service and its marquee remained blank on Tuesday. The movie website Fandango shows three movies currently playing at South Bay Cinemas, with two more to be added Friday.
Commenters on the theater’s Facebook page celebrated the reopening, with many saying they saw films there over the weekend.
Gary Weiner, 57, of Babylon Village, said he plans to see "Twisters" at the theater soon with his wife and teenage daughter.
"I’m excited," he said. "We’ll see how it goes. This has been ongoing, so is it going to be a successful venture? I’m interested to see if they can survive."
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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