PHOENIX — Harkins Theatres is preparing to close its North Valley 16 theater in north Phoenix, however, the movie theater is not closing immediately.
"After over 20 years of entertaining moviegoers, we are beginning the process of closing the curtain on our beloved North Valley 16," Harkins said in a statement sent to ABC15 on Monday. "Because of the age of the theatre, a substantial reinvestment would have been necessary in order to make the theatre viable for the future, which was not feasible."
"The theatre will remain open until an official closing date is determined closer to the end of the year," Harkins said in its statement. The movie theater is located near 32nd Street and Bell Road.
Since 2018, Harkins has spent millions of dollars renovating many of its theaters to add electronic reclining seats and reserved seating, in-lobby bars, and upgrades to its Cine1 auditoriums.
Other than mentioning that a new theater was in the works, Harkins did not release any more information, such as a potential construction or opening timeframe or a location.
Phoenix New Times, who was first to report on the theater's closure, reported that a local developer has begun the process to potentially build a gated residential community there.
With the new theater, Harkins will now have three projects in the works around the Valley.
Back in 2019, Harkins announced its plans to build a 12-screen movie theater at Laveen Park Place, near 59th Avenue and Baseline Road. Construction on that theater has not started and the project has been indefinitely delayed.
At Chandler Fashion Center mall, Harkins submitted plans to build Harkins Backlot, an entertainment concept with various attractions, in the former Sears space. That project is also delayed and the future timeline is unclear.
