AMC Theatres has set a final operating date of January 3, 2027, for its popular AMC Kips Bay 15 multiplex in Manhattan, escalating a public dispute over the property's future. In an open letter published on October 24, 2026, AMC CEO Adam Aron appealed directly to the surrounding community and incoming property owner NYU Langone Health, stating that the cinema chain is being forced out of its longtime location at 570 Second Avenue near East 31st Street. While the theater operator is pushing to keep a cinema on the site, the current building owner has terminated the lease ahead of an anticipated property transfer to the expanding medical system, according to Variety.

The impending shutdown ends a 27-year run for the 15-screen movie house, which first opened on May 14, 1999, and was taken over by AMC in 2006. Operating as AMC's second-largest multiplex in New York City behind Times Square's Empire 25, the Kips Bay venue serves as a central commercial anchor on Manhattan's East Side. Its planned departure has sparked protests from local residents and intervention from city and state officials who are pressuring NYU Langone to preserve neighborhood retail amenities alongside its new medical facilities.

A Public Appeal and Rejected Proposals

In his letter to the Kips Bay community, Aron made it clear that the exhibition company is fighting to stay in the neighborhood. "AMC Theatres does not want to go. Not one little bit. AMC Theatres wants to stay in Kips Bay," Aron wrote, as reported by Deadline. He noted that although the company previously faced high rent that made the location's long-term viability uncertain, AMC had resolved those financial concerns in recent years.

According to Aron, AMC executives approached NYU Langone Health with multiple compromise proposals designed to accommodate both the hospital's growth and the cinema's continued operation. One option involved NYU Langone enlarging the existing two-story retail structure to create room for its medical expansion while leaving the 15-screen theater intact. Another proposal offered to reduce the theater's overall footprint, downscaling the multiplex so a smaller cinema could continue serving the East Side neighborhood.

"Sadly, any and all variations that we have proposed have fallen on closed minds," Aron stated in his letter. He urged the health system's leadership to reconsider and devise a creative development plan that provides the neighborhood with both expanded medical care and a functional movie theater on Second Avenue.

Conflicting Accounts of the Property Transfer

While the scheduled closure is widely linked to NYU Langone's campus expansion just a block east of the theater, accounts differ regarding the exact mechanics of the lease termination and the real estate timeline. According to Deadline, NYU Langone privately purchased the property last year, prompting AMC's initial August 24 announcement that the venue would likely shutter by the end of 2026. Conversely, the New York Daily News and a local report from the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association indicate that NYU Langone is currently under contract to buy the property, with the transaction expected to close early in 2027.

There are also differing characterizations of how the cinema's lease came to an end. Aron maintained in his public statement that the building's current landlord unilaterally terminated AMC's lease in anticipation of the ownership transfer because the hospital system "wants us gone." However, the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association reported that AMC had previously agreed to end its lease early, adding that NYU Langone plans to share specific details about its development blueprints only after the real estate transaction is finalized.

Box Office Momentum and Theatrical Footprint

The battle over the Kips Bay location arrives during a period of strong commercial recovery for the theatrical exhibition sector. While a recent Pew poll cited by the New York Daily News noted that fewer than half of Americans reported visiting a cinema in the past year due to at-home streaming habits, the Manhattan multiplex has posted robust attendance numbers.

Aron stated that thousands of patrons visit AMC Kips Bay 15 daily, and claimed that on several days during the past summer, the venue ranked among the 10 most-attended theaters across AMC's entire national network of more than 500 U.S. locations. While those specific internal rankings have not been independently audited in public filings, the theater benefited heavily from a record-breaking summer box office that generated $4.67 billion domestically behind major releases such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and Toy Story 5.

With the closing date set for January 3, local moviegoers will have a two-and-a-half-month window to watch late-year tentpoles like Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part III at the Second Avenue venue before the screens go dark. Once shuttered, AMC will continue to operate eight remaining locations out of its current footprint of nine multiplexes in Manhattan.

Community Backlash and Political Intervention

For Kips Bay and Murray Hill residents, the real estate dispute extends beyond moviegoing. The two-story commercial strip at 570 Second Avenue also houses a bank and a basement-level Fairway supermarket, both of which are expected to close alongside the theater. Following initial reports of the impending shutdown, residents and local business owners staged a community rally in September to protest the loss of neighborhood retail space.

Local elected officials have stepped into the fray, pressuring NYU Langone to incorporate community feedback into its expansion plans. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal revealed to ABC7 New York that he directly encouraged AMC's leadership to publicly state their desire to stay in the building. "Any proposed rezoning must deliver what this neighborhood needs: a movie theater, a supermarket, and housing," Hoylman-Sigal said, pledging to fight for all three elements in any city land-use review.

Aron also thanked New York State Assembly Member Keith Powers for advocating on behalf of the multiplex, while City Councilwoman Virginia Maloney confirmed that lawmakers have been meeting directly with NYU representatives to influence the site's future. "This is a huge loss for that neighborhood fabric that is getting harder and harder to find," Maloney told the New York Daily News, warning against the steady erosion of shared community anchors across New York City.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the AMC Kips Bay 15 theater scheduled to close?

Unless NYU Langone Health and the property's landlord agree to a new lease arrangement or redevelopment compromise, the theater will permanently close after its final screenings on January 3, 2027.

What else is closing in the 570 Second Avenue building?

In addition to the 15-screen AMC multiplex, the two-story retail strip houses a bank and a Fairway supermarket on its lower level. Both businesses are also expected to close to make way for the medical facility expansion.

Can NYU Langone be forced to keep the theater open?

As a private real estate transaction, the property owner has the legal right to terminate commercial leases according to contract terms. However, if NYU Langone's new medical facility requires municipal rezoning or land-use approvals from New York City, local officials like the Manhattan Borough President and City Council members can leverage the approval process to negotiate for community amenities like retail space, a grocery store, or a downsized cinema.

Sources