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A sign appeared on the door of the Regal Cinemas in Lanesborough on Monday stating the 10-screen movie theater is closed permanently.

Regal Cinemas at Berkshire Mall Closes Permanently

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Regal Cinemas at the Berkshire Mall has permanently closed, according to a sign posted on its door.

It's not clear when the sign was posted but the phone no longer works as of Tuesday and residents were posting images of the sign on Monday. There are two Facebook pages for the 10-theater cinema, both of which state that it is open.

The sign on the door states:  "This location has been permanently closed. All ticket sales will be refunded.  If you have any questions please contact Regal through their Twitter or Facebook page, or Contact Us on regmovies.com. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Looking inside through the window, it is clear that the theater is shuttered. It had been using a door that goes directly into the Regal lobby rather than the mall food court entrance just feet away because the mall has been closed for more than two years. 

iBerkshires was not able to reach a representative from Regal but has left messages at the corporate office. An email connected to the Lanesborough cinema no longer works. The Regal website still lists one movie screening this weekend. 

Last year, mall owner Durga Property Holdings handed over property and management decisions to consultation agency Bedi & Associates. New and former tenants were expected to be in the mall by late 2021 along with needed repairs to the facility after sitting vacant since 2019.

Similar to Target, Regal owns its property within the mall located at Old State Road and Route 8.

Regal is part of the international Cineworld Group that operates nearly 800 theaters in 10 countries. The bulk of those theaters, 527, are located in the United States. Regal is the second-largest theater chain in the nation and has 10 locations in Massachusetts. Only two were in Western Mass, in Lanesborough and Springfield. 
 
The international group reported operating losses of $209 million at the end of last year's second quarter but indicated attendance and concession sales growth in the past two quarters. 
 
The mall location's closure doesn't seem indicative of a widespread reorganizing but there have been scattered instances of permanent closings over the past two years. The closest recent closing is a theater in Branford, Conn., at the beginning of the year. 
 
Theaters have had a rough time during the pandemic, opening and closing based public health regulations and film availability. Regal closed all of its theaters between October 2020 and April 2021. More recently, North Adams MoviePlex 8 shut down for the past week because of a "lack of new releases and staff levels," according to its Facebook page. It's expected to reopen this Friday with five movies, including new release "Moonfall."

Tags: closure,   movie theater,   

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Pittsfield Holiday Inn Temporarily Closes

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Holiday Inn & Suites is temporarily shut down, and 101 Restaurant & Bar has closed its doors until further notice. 

The hotel has been closed since Sept. 25, after its last working elevator of three broke down.  The Berkshire Eagle reported that guests were forced to evacuate because an elevator broke down. 

On Wednesday, 101 Restaurant & Bar posted on Facebook that they would close until further notice due to circumstances beyond their control and the closure of the Holiday Inn. 

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. We thank you and our staff for your patience. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we are able," the owners wrote. 

The central downtown, 12-story hotel has nearly 180 guest rooms.  Massachusetts requires public multi-level buildings and facilities to have elevator access. 

The Holiday Inn recently demolished its crumbling parking garage and is replacing it with a smaller one.  The building at 1 West Street was constructed in 1972; it was formerly known as the Crowne Plaza. 

101 Restaurant opened five years ago within the hotel.  It is owned by John and Tucker McNinch, who formerly operated the Olde Heritage Tavern in Lenox. 

Signs on the hotel's entrance explain that the doors are temporarily locked.  Anyone with questions is encouraged to call (413) 499-2000. 

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