Although AMC recently left Oakwood Mall, city officials are working to see that the space remains active. | pixnio.com/media/cinema-spectator-auditorium-people-audience
Although AMC recently left Oakwood Mall, city officials are working to see that the space remains active. | pixnio.com/media/cinema-spectator-auditorium-people-audience
After seven years in business, the AMC Theatre in Eau Claire's Oakwood Mall has rolled its final credits, closing its doors permanently earlier this month and leaving the community with just one theater chain.
While what comes next for the space remains a mystery, Eau Claire Economic Development Manager Aaron White said the search is already well underway.
“We've been in communication with representatives for quite some time, talking about the facility, what's going on there, what are their plans, what can we do to assist,” White told WQOW. “A facility like that, it's always to the benefit of the community to keep it vibrant and useful and being used in some fashion.”
Micon Cinemas already has two locations in Eau Claire, as well as one in Chippewa Falls, yet its general manager, Dave Olson, said he could see a scenario where Micon steps in to keep the venue the same as it's always been.
"We obviously have our other three locations that we are trying to keep going, and we spend a lot of time and energy on those, and is that where we keep our focus, or do we expand and spread out, and is that the right opportunity for us?" he said. "All things will be looked at for sure."
While city officials admit there are currently no plans for any kind of redevelopment on the land, White said the goal is to keep it a key part of community life.
AMC Theatre is not the only store that has closed recently in the mall, with both Sears and Macy’s leaving over the last four years. As such changes come about, White said the city does all it can to help in these challenging times even though the mall is owned privately.
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