Shopping Center Where Now-Shuttered Hampton Bays Movie Theater Was Sited Sold To New Owner

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — The shopping plaza that was the longtime home of the beloved, and now-shuttered, Hampton Bays movie theater has been sold, the location's former owner told Patch.

According to Walter Morris, who owned the space, the shopping center was sold in June; he was not able to publicly disclose information regarding the new owner or future plans for the property.

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"We closed on June 22," Morris told Patch. He added that the sale was handled entirely through attorneys.

The decision to sell was not without emotion, Morris said. "I had, and still have, mixed feelings about selling the property. I purchased it 23 years ago because I believed — and still believe — it was the best piece of commercial real estate in the Hamptons. The location is irreplaceable."

However, he said: "My efforts to renovate and revitalize this property were met with some resistance over the past years, so when I was contacted with an unsolicited and very fair offer, I made the decision that was best for me and my family at this point in time and I accepted it."

Morris still believes firmly in the potential offered by the space. "This is a fantastic property in an incredible community. I hope that its full potential will be realized in the very near future," he said.

In January, the curtain fell on the Regal UA Hampton Bays movie theater — with the cinema closing its doors forever as a last audience turned out for the final showing.

The news was a blow to the community, which had long fought to keep the movie theater at its location at 119 W. Montauk Highway, where it had shown films to generations of movie-goers since 1997.

Resident Cathy Goepfert expressed sadness at the loss. "I find it disappointing that the movie theater will close," she said at the time. "There is something about your local town movie theater. It brings a sense of community and place for escapism all at the same time. Just its presence can bring a nostalgic comfort. This will be a noticeable vacancy."

Speaking with Patch, Morris, who owned the theater's building, as well as the other property in the shopping plaza before selling in June, said Regal leaving the space would mean a great loss on many levels.

"I'm sad to see them go," he said in a prior interview.

Morris said he was told as far back as 2019 that Regal would not be staying much longer in Hampton Bays. "They said they were losing money there," he said.

Morris said he'd had a "great relationship" with Regal and had consistently offered to work with Regal, at first telling them, "If I cut your rent in half, would you stay until I find a new tenant?"

That allowed him time to consider new tenants — and he approached CVS to take over the space.

Morris, in a past interview, described his journey with the property.

Despite interest on the part of CVS and a 25-year lease, an application with Southampton Town was hit with insurmountable challenges, including considerable pushback from the community, who fought to keep the movie theater and also expressed concerns about traffic and another large CVS in the area, he said.

Morris said he worked on the application with CVS for years. He was told at meetings by community members that they didn't want a "corporate" CVS in Hampton Bays and favored a mom-and-pop business at the shopping center.

While a CVS would have been an as-of-right use, Morris said, site plan approval was needed and never granted — until finally, with more than $600,000 spent on the application, the deal with CVS fell through and the lease was canceled, Morris said.

"It was painful," he said. "They were going to redo the whole shopping center, the buildings, the parking lot, the landscaping."

Morris said he then again asked Regal if they would stay, just until there was a new tenant — even offering zero rent — but he was told that even with no rent at all, the theater would still be losing money.

While some suggested an alternative use such as an art gallery, Morris said he believed that the sheer size of the building — 15,000 square feet, with 30-foot ceilings — would make the cost of upkeep as well as taxes insurmountable for a business of that size.

The goal had always been to find a business "that can afford to be here," he said.

Still, Morris said in January, he was looking ahead. "That's all in the past," he said. "We've been trying to find someone for a long time."

At the time, Morris said, he was enthusiastic about plans to revitalize the space. He had submitted plans to the Southampton Town planning board and architectural review board to remodel the entire front of the shopping center.

Possible applicants in such a large space could include a pharmacy, a small supermarket, or a possible medical facility, he said.

Morris said saying good-bye to the theater wasn't easy. He spoke highly of the theater's longtime manager Mary Russo, who gave so much of her heart and soul to the movie theater and the many families who've made it a part of their memories for generations.

"She's terrific," he said. "A great lady."

Earlier this year, Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore also reflected on the movie theater's last day. "The closing of the movie theater is very disappointing," she said. "Although I understand how difficult it is for movie theaters to survive with the availability of so many streaming services, I, like many others, am grateful for the memories shared with family and friends over the years at that theater."

She added: "As a town, we'll continue to explore ways to support local arts and entertainment opportunities that enrich our community."