| 
Image courtesy of Pacific Theatres
A pair of developers face uncertain futures for prominent spaces following theater operators decisions to cut the lights for good on their high-end Boston venues.
ArcLight Cinemas Boston said this week it has permanently closed its 15-screen Hub on Causeway, a month after the ShowPlace ICON Theatre announced it the closing of its 60 Seaport Boulevard complex.
Opening amid fanfare including its sponsorship of a local filmmaking contest in late 2019, The ArcLight at The Hub on Causeway included a 15-screen theater complex with a 65-foot widescreen format and two floors of concessions including a 65-seat bar and lounge.
Debuting in February 2018, the 44,000-square-foot ShowPlace ICON was Chicago theater chain Kerasotes’ first Massachusetts location and billed as an anchor of WS Development’s Seaport portfolio. The complex included 10 auditoriums with capacity ranging from 63 to 131 patrons with a “private screening room” feel, the company said, with total capacity of 855 people.
Boston Properties did not return a message regarding the closing. A spokeswoman for WS Development said the company was still evaluating its plans for the future of the space.
Government restrictions on capacity and declining attendance during the pandemic has taken its toll on theater chains. In an announcement this week, Pacific Theatres said it decided to close all of its locations nationwide including Pacific Theatres and the ArcLight complexes.
“This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward,” the company said.
The ArcLight format debuted in Los Angeles in 2002.
Celebrities took to social media to express their dismay over the news. “Love & Basketball” filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood tweeted, “This is so painful. The Arclight is my go-to. Clean, great sound, assigned stadium seating, great popcorn, usher movie introductions. A true movie-going experience.”
Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.
