The Business Journal learned on Sept. 6 that the Showcase Cinema de Lux at the City Center in White Plains will be closing. The last day of business will be Sunday, Oct. 29, the Business Journal was told. In a statement to the Business Journal on Sept. 7, Showcase Cinemas said that it had failed to come to a lease renewal agreement for its space at the City Center.
“Showcase Cinemas is deeply committed to our U.S. theatrical exhibition business and we look forward to continuing to provide a superior movie-going experience to our loyal patrons at our Showcase Cinema de Lux Ridge Hill and Showcase Cinema de Lux Cross County, both in Yonkers,” Showcase said. 
City Center with movie theater marque in center of photo as seen in 2017.
The 15-screen theater was a major attraction when it opened in on June 25, 2005, and has been a focal point in the city’s downtown ever since. It opened with approximately 3,200 seats but the seating capacity was reduced over time as the theater installed wider, more luxurious seating. An IMAX auditorium was added where movies could be seen on an almost wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screen. The most recent IMAX attraction to play at the theater is “Oppenheimer.”
Mark Malinowski, VP of Global Marketing for Showcase Cinemas told the Business Journal, “With the release of hit films such as ”˜Barbie,”™ ”˜Oppenheimer”™ and ”˜Super Mario Bros.,”™ Showcase Cinemas is seeing a significant increase in year-to-date circuit attendance over last year. Additionally, our advance sales for October”™s ”˜Taylor Swift/The Eras Tour”™ film are incredibly strong as we continue to add show times in advance of the film”™s release. All of this points to the fact that people are falling in love with movie-going once again, as they cannot get the same communal experience by viewing a film at home.”
When asked about the closing, White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said, “I think it’s of course a sad day but not really a surprise. I think it’s a reflection of where the entertainment industry has moved. A combination of streaming and I think Covid really accelerated a process that was already underway.”
Roach said that the theater operation occupied a lot of space at City Center but he understood that talks are taking place with possible new tenants.
“When the film industry starts releasing films onto TV at the same time they’re putting them into theaters I think it’s a problem,” Roach said. He also expressed a hope that White Plains will not be without movies downtown for very long.
I am very disappointed. Not many theaters are big with such great service. This one of the only movie theaters that actually had a ticket booth with a person rather than a kiosk. I really hate that this theater is closing. It was my favorite movie theater
Same. I’m disappointed too.
This is very disappointing. White Plains without a movie theater is going to be the first. We literally only have restaurants, which promotes eating and drinking. We have a Mayor that isn’t doing anything to help our teens or residents. We need to leave our homes for more than just eating, drinking and buying clothes. Which by the way, the Galleria that had affordable clothing is gone. We are a city of middle class incomes as well as our neighborhoods who can afford or can’t. This closing is really very sad. And I hope someone comes along and opens up a movie theater in White Plains somewhere…
It’s a major deal when a city opens or closes a theatre and this theatre closing is not a surprise but saddens me greatly. It was disheartening to see so few patrons these past few years. I live downtown and loved being able to walk to neighborhood entertainment. I love my city and think the mayor is doing the best he can during these trying times. If we do get a new theatre it would be helpful for the young generation to support it and create a community that doesn’t only watch movies on its large screen tvs at home.
And?
Covid hurt the routine of people going to the movies and inflicted too much time to think about the conveniences of staying home much to the detriment of ticketing sites, theatres and concessions, restaurants, parking facilities, ice cream shops and bars. The entertainment industry as a whole is vying for the ever increasing finite disposable dollars of the average American household and maybe, just maybe, the streaming companies will continue to grow their market share. Conversely, people are still attending exorbitantly priced concerts and Broadway shows, eating out (even modestly it’s a $20 burger and an $18 cocktail plus an appetizer and a side), parking. We’re still a society of haves and have nots while the cost of living continues to outpace take home pay. And one thing we still have as consumers is choice to lay our money down where, when, and for whatever we want to…except maybe movie theatres.
It always was Showcase from day one when City Center opened. Anybody know if another theater chain is interested in taking over ?
The Galleria, Macy’s, The White Plains Mall (stores on the opposite side of the Verizon building on Hamilton Ave), Walmart, and now the movie theater is closing. I don’t know how the City of White Plains is OK with all of these businesses leaving. In my opinion they are obsessed with creating more apartment buildings and municipal parking lots that there will be nothing left but apartments and parking.
I have friends in the Bronx that used to drive up to shop and go to the movies, now there has not really been a reason to come here in quite a long time. Such a shame, White Plains was the place to be and a desired place to live.