Monday, June 10, 2019

[THAT'S ALL FOLKS] AMC Theatres Shutters Mansell Cinema

AMC Classic Mansell Crossing 14 Theatres has closed.  Originally opened June 24, 1994, the nearly 52,000 square foot 14 screen theater closed June 3, with the company directing patrons to the AMC Dine-In 12 at North Point Mall and to the AMC Avenue Forsyth 12, both nearby newer theaters. 

The Mansell theater had previously operated as a typical AMC Theatres location, but adopted the "Classic" branding shortly after the company opened the newer 12 screen Dine-In theater at North Point Mall in 2012 in place of the mall's former Parisian store.  AMC "Classic" locations are often older theaters with lower prices on tickets than other AMC Theatres in the market.  There is at least one other AMC Theatres in metro Atlanta which operates under the "Classic" branding including the AMC Classic Snellville 12 (converted Carmike Theatres) on Scenic Highway in Snellville.  The AMC North DeKalb Mall 16 was previously branded as a "Classic," but adopted the standard AMC designation last year and also raised its ticket prices.  

The AMC at Mansell Crossing is at least the third location that Leawood, Kansas-based theater operator has closed in metro Atlanta over the years. AMC Northlake 8 closed in 2002 and is today operated as a Movie Tavern by Marcus.  AMC 8 Theatres at Galleria Specialty Mall near Cumberland Mall closed in 2003 and is not currently in use as a theater.  

Rival operator Regal Cinemas previously operated the nearly North Point Market 8, but closed it in November 2014 when they opened the new Regal Cinemas Avalon 12 at Avalon a few miles away.  A new Dave & Buster's opened in May 2017 in the roughly 35,000 square foot former theater space.  

Despite the narrative that "malls are dying" or that Avalon would spell the end of North Point, the area around the mall, and the mall itself, continues to attract new businesses.

Hobby Lobby is opening soon in the 50,000+ square foot former Babies R Us in North Point Marketcenter, while a new roughly 6,500 square foot Outback Steakhouse opened in the same center last February.  REI opened a new approximately 24,000 square foot store in early 2015 at Mansell Crossing in place of a shuttered OfficeMax.   

Brookfield Properties Retail Inc., owner of North Point Mall, is also planning a significant redevelopment at the mall where Sears closed last year.  "The Point," as the redevelopment is called, is slated to feature 300 apartments, new restaurants, green space, trails and more.  A new location of co-working business SPACES is also expected to open in the mall in the coming months. 

Mansell Crossing owner Brixmor Property Group secured a lease with NCG Cinemas to backfill a long vacant multi-screen theater at Northeast Plaza in Brookhaven and could pursue a similar lease in Alpharetta.  


It's unclear if there are any plans in the works for the former Mansell theater, but given the continued interest in the North Point Mall corridor, there's a likelihood that something will fill it sooner rather than later.  

What would you like to see open in place of AMC Mansell Crossing?  Where do you go most often for movies in the Alpharetta area?  Are you excited for "The Point" at North Point Mall?

Please share your thoughts below

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The AMC 8 at Galleria is surprisingly intact. If you walk by it, it clearly looks like an old cinema, 16 years later.

Alex said...

Oh wow, I didn't know AMC 8 Galleria even existed. I thought you originally meant Parkway Pointe until I Googled it. Talk about a time capsule.

Anonymous said...

I didn't get up there as often as I would have liked to have, but I liked that they showed some independent movies the newer AMCs never had.

Also didn't know about AMC Galleria and can't seem to find a link? I go to Parkway Pointe AOTT

Hey said...

Galleria 8 was at one time in the early ‘80 the #1 grossing theatre in all of the metro.

Anonymous said...

Galleria 8 was the premiere date night movie spot in the 80's. You would go before or after from the restaurant (A TGI Fridays (I think) directly across from the ticket counter.

Unknown said...

SAD FACE! I was the general manager of both Galleria 8 and Mansell Crossing 14 back in the late 90's. Lots of great memories there with great staff and customers (and movies!). We debuted the first Toy Story at Mansell and a kid got his arm stuck down in the armrest cupholder. I used butter topping to help his mom get it out :O

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