NEW YORK — AMC Theatres has publicly urged New York City residents and local officials to help preserve the Kips Bay 15 multiplex as the Manhattan cinema faces an uncertain future following a property sale to NYU Langone Health.
In an open letter, AMC Chief Executive Adam Aron said the company does not want to leave the theater at 570 Second Avenue, a 15-screen venue that has anchored the Kips Bay commercial strip since it opened in 1999 and that AMC has operated since 2006. But Aron acknowledged the company’s fate is not solely its own to determine after the building was purchased by NYU Langone last year.
AMC says it has sought alternatives
Aron wrote that AMC has engaged with NYU Langone to propose various options that might allow the theater to continue in some form, but that those proposals have not led to an agreement. AMC publicly disclosed in August that the transaction was likely to result in the theater’s closure by the end of the year, a development that sparked protests from residents and local businesses.
“AMC Theatres does not want to go. Not one little bit. AMC Theatres wants to stay in Kips Bay….Apparently, NYU Langone Health does not share that view, not ours or not yours. Unfortunately, the decision to retain or end AMC’s tenure in Kips Bay is not ours to make.”
The theater’s location has been described by AMC and community leaders as part of the neighborhood’s essential retail and cultural mix, alongside other amenities such as supermarkets and housing. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal intervened directly after news of the possible closure prompted vocal local opposition.
Community impact and concerns
Neighbors and small-business owners in the Kips Bay–Murray Hill area have rallied against the expected shutdown, saying the theater serves as a social and economic hub. While the open letter does not disclose the specific counterproposals AMC has offered NYU Langone, the company framed its outreach as an attempt to find compromises that preserve neighborhood amenities.
NYU Langone, according to AMC’s statement, is planning an expansion that would require control of the property; the prior owner has terminated AMC’s lease in anticipation of that transfer. AMC’s letter framed the situation as the outcome of the building sale rather than a unilateral decision by the exhibitor.
Timeline of key events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Multiplex opens in Kips Bay |
| 2006 | AMC assumes operation of the 15-screen venue |
| 2025 (last year) | Property purchased by NYU Langone |
| August 2026 | AMC announces likely closure by year-end, prompting community outcry |
| October 2026 | AMC CEO issues open letter and confirms engagement with NYU Langone |
What AMC is asking for
In the letter, AMC framed its request as preserving community amenities and keeping the multiplex operational. The CEO emphasized the theater’s popularity and the neighborhood’s attachment to it. AMC said it proposed multiple variations to NYU Langone intended to allow the theater to continue functioning in some capacity, but the company stopped short of describing those proposals in detail.
- AMC position: Wants to remain operating at 570 Second Avenue; has proposed alternatives to NYU Langone.
- NYU Langone position: Planning an expansion and, according to AMC, wants the theater removed.
- Local response: Residents, businesses and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal have voiced opposition to the likely closure.
The dispute highlights recurring tensions in New York City between institutional expansion and preservation of neighborhood commercial amenities. The fate of the Kips Bay multiplex will hinge on negotiations tied to property control, lease termination and any potential accommodation NYU Langone might be willing to make.
For now, AMC’s public appeal adds pressure to those discussions and raises questions about how health-system growth will be balanced with community needs in a dense Manhattan corridor.
As the year progresses, local leaders and residents will be watching for any formal decisions from NYU Langone or the building’s owner, and for whether the two parties can reach an arrangement that keeps the moviehouse open.
