Report: Long Beach Cinemas Will Remain Closed Through the Winter

Long Beach will be without a movie theater through the winter.

Long Beach Cinemas, which closed in 2012 after suffering major damage in Hurricane Sandy, will remain closed through the winter and reopen in the early spring, according to Newsday.

“We are definitely going to reopen,” said Manhattan developer Seth Pilevsky, according to the report. “We went through what a lot of residents in Long Beach and New York dealt with. We’ve been waiting for proceeds from insurance to rebuild it the way it was before.”

Insurance issues have slowed much of the progress Pilevsky hoped to make in reopening the theater.

“We’re constantly on top of them,” Pilevsky told Patch in 2013. “The whole thing has been very frustrating. It’s been very difficult.”

The theater had been recently updated just before the storm struck and featured 3-D capable screens and other top of the line capabilities.

“Everything was digital and the whole experience was upgraded,” Pilevsky said. “It was completely modernized. It cost a pretty penny.

Meanwhile, Long Beach City officials said they were unhappy with the delays, which can damage surrounding businesses.

“We are again calling on the owners of the theater to do everything they can to open their doors as soon as possible so that our families can once again enjoy our community’s theater,” said City Council Vice President Fran Adelson, according to the city’s Facebook page.

“Delays are unacceptable as they hurt surrounding local businesses and families who would like to frequent the theater. We will continue to do everything we can to accelerate every aspect of the City’s recovery process, even regarding facilities not under the City’s control.”

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