Lakehurst Cinemas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lakehurst Cinemas (originally known as General Cinema Lakehurst 12 until 2000) was a movie theatre located in Waukegan, Illinois in the United States that operated from 1974 until 2007.
[edit] History
General Cinema Lakehurst opened in 1974 as a part of Lakehurst Mall, a 1.1 million square-foot shopping mall literally across the street from the theater. The theater was built in keeping with General Cinema's tradition of adding screens near major shopping destinations. General Cinema Lakehurst was originally built with three screens, and its opening film was The Exorcist. In 1984 the theater expanded to five screens. Over time the theater continued to expand and before the 2000s it featured 12 screens, and became officially known as General Cinema Lakehurst 12.
Over time the Lakehurst property declined, mostly due to competition from Gurnee Mills and Westfield Hawthorn. The dying mall was drastically affecting the surrounding businesses; many restaurants, shops, and attractions closed. In 2000, General Cinema Lakehurst 12 closed as a result of General Cinema Corporation's bankruptcy. One year later, the mall was shuttered (except for the Carson Pirie Scott store, which remained open until 2004).
In 2002 General Cinema Lakehurst 12 re-opened under the name Lakehurst Cinemas, and was now operated by a small chain of theaters in the Chicago area called Village Theaters. Curiously, except for a small banner covering a sign at the theater entrance, the theater still bore General Cinema signage.
In 2003 the Lakehurst property was purchased by the Shaw Company. It was then announced that Lakehurst Mall would be demolished to build Fountain Square of Waukegan. It was also announced that Lakehurst Cinema would close in the future, but a date was not given.
January 7, 2007 marked the last day of screenings for the aging theater. The closure was sudden and unplanned. The theater was forced to cease operation after Lake County building inspectors red-tagged the building for numerous problems including leaking roofs and heating and cooling problems.
Among the last films to be shown at the theater were Happy Feet, Rocky Balboa, Night at the Museum, Stomp the Yard, Eragon, and We Are Marshall.
Demolition of the multiplex began in mid-July 2007, and the theater was gone by mid-August. The former site will be used as parking for a nearby Holiday Inn Express under construction nearby.[1]
While the theater is long-gone, the sign still remains standing near Illinois Rt. 43 (Waukegan Rd.). A Lakehurst history website is currently attempting to save this sign. [2]
[edit] External links
- General Cinema
- Trailer for General Cinema shown inside Lakehurst Cinema
