Round Lake Beach, Bolingbrook movie theaters to close; leaders hope buildings won't be dormant long

This article has been corrected to show Cineworld as the parent company of Regal Cinemas.

The Regal Cinemas theaters in Round Lake Beach and Bolingbrook are set to close soon, but town leaders expressed hope the properties won't be sitting idle for long.

Regal Cinemas' parent company, Cineworld, will close 39 locations starting Feb. 15 as part of bankruptcy proceedings, according to multiple media reports.

Regal has not made an official announcement about the closures, and company representatives did not return messages for comment on when the Round Lake Beach and Bolingbrook locations will shutter.

Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta said the village will reach out to the owner of the 40,000-square-foot building about new opportunities for the space. Alexander-Basta said there are other types of businesses that could make use of the large space, such as a family entertainment center.

"No doubt there will be use for that parcel. It's just making sure we pick the right one," Alexander-Basta said. "Bolingbrook is an extremely desirable market."

Round Lake Beach Mayor Scott Nickles said it's a shame the local cinema is among the ones closing, but he said village leaders will work to fill the space.

"The village of Round Lake Beach will do whatever we can to bring a new cinema or entertainment group into town to offset the loss of this very important business," Nickles said.

Nickles didn't go into how much revenue Round Lake Beach will lose without the movie theater business. As ticket sales had been declining since the pandemic, the revenue loss won't be a significant part of the village's overall sales tax base, he added.

Alexander-Basta said based on recent financial data Bolingbrook likely will lose $40,000 to $50,000 annually in revenues generated by the amusement tax on movie tickets sold, as well as $13,000 to $15,000 in food and beverage taxes from concession sales.

"So we're not losing a great deal of revenue," Alexander-Basta said.