The Columbus Dispatch

Lennox movie theater set to reopen this month

- Ken Gordon Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK

One day after AMC Theatres said it was permanentl­y closing its Lennox Town Center 24 location, Phoenix Theatres Entertainm­ent announced it is taking over management and hopes to have movies showing there again later this month.

Phoenix Theatres president and CEO Phil Zacheretti said his company has been involved in talks over the location for several weeks. He said Phoenix is entering into a “management agreement” rather than a purchase, and said “we plan to be there for several years at least.”

His company, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, owns or operates 14 theaters in 11 states, he said. Though Phoenix built at least one itself, in most

cases, the company takes over operation of theaters that other chains give up on.

“It’s a great theater,” Zacheretti said of Lennox. “It is an older theater (opened in 1996) but it has been kept up and is in very good condition. It’s very popular and is one of the topgrossin­g theaters in the Columbus market.

“It helps that it’s across the street from a tiny little college (Ohio State University) and it serves a great purpose for that community.”

Zacheretti said he hopes to reopen by Christmas or even a week earlier. He said Phoenix has hired most of the managers and team leaders who worked at Lennox for AMC, which should help ease the transition process.

Lennox Town Center and the AMC theater opened in 1996 on the site of a former air-conditione­r production plant. Over the years, the shopping center grew into a hub of retail and restaurant­s, with the AMC theater opening a bar in 2012.

On Monday, signs at the theater said it was closed permanentl­y. Messages for AMC Theatres officials were not returned Monday or immediatel­y Tuesday.

The pandemic has crushed the theater industry, including AMC Entertainm­ent, which owns the world’s largest movie theater circuit. The cinema chain reported a loss of over $900 million in the third quarter.

 ?? ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH ?? AMC Lennox Town Center 24 is being taken over by new management, which hopes to begin showing movies soon.
ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH AMC Lennox Town Center 24 is being taken over by new management, which hopes to begin showing movies soon.

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