Loews Theaters Closing?

Officials at Loews Cineplex would not confirm it, but local industry experts predict that the Holladay Center, Midvalley, South Towne theaters will all close and that Broadway Centre Cinema, Trolley Corners Theaters, Trolley Square Mall 4 Cinemas will stay open until at least the end of January.  The Crossroads Mall theater is already closed.  The new theater complex at the Layton Hill mall may survive, probably because it features stadium seating.

Critics say the nationwide chain can't compete with newer mega-plexes, because the older theaters lack stadium seating and are poorly maintained.  Doug Wright, of the Movie Show on KSL radio, said, "The bathrooms have deteriorated, the seats aren't as good...  I haven't seen any serious maintenance on a Loews Cineplex operation in a long, long time."

Steve Salles, another movie show critic, says another theater chain may buy some or many of the former Cineplex theaters.  If the Broadway theater closes, there will be no mainstream movie theaters in downtown Salt Lake City.