Solar movie theater to reopen in 2019
Solar movie theaters in Los Angeles and New York City will soon be back in operation, after being shuttered following a decade of shutdowns.
The solar movie theaters will reopen as scheduled on Friday, the California Department of Licensing and Regulation said in a statement, as it looks to expand its moviegoing market.
The theaters reopened in 2017 under the name Solar Cinema, with plans to reopen as the California Solar Cinema Association.
The association said it will pay for theater upgrades and renovations to the movie house.
The state, however, has had no success in expanding its movie theaters, which have had trouble filling seats with movies due to a lack of parking spaces.
The theater was closed in 2014 after being plagued by financial problems and vandalism.
The company that operated the theater, Sun Studios, closed in December, according to the LA Times.
Sun Studios had been in talks with the California Public Utilities Commission to reopen, but said in February that it did not have the money to pay for the repairs.
The California Public Utility Commission also is considering revoking the utility’s franchise to operate the theater.