Newton Macy's Could be the Site of New Movie Theatre
WS Development is proposing a plan to close the AMC Chestnut Hill and reopen a new theatre at the former Macy's site, which closed last year.
A Chestnut Hill development firm has some makeover plans for the Macy's on Route 9 in Newton.
According to the article, WS Development, the property's owners, have started removing asbestos from the former Macy's building and have plans to start construction as soon as next month.
The owners indicated that the new theatre would result in the closing of the AMC Chestnut Hill, which is a few doors down in the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center. WS Development would not disclose the new theatre company.
Macy's closed its Chestnut Hill store in early 2011 as part of the company's move to "prune underperforming locations while also opening new (locations) to fill gaps in local markets." Since then, the site has remained empty.
But WS Developments' plans for the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center do not end with Macy's; the firm presented plans in June that include tearing down the building that houses Century Bank and City Sports and rebuilding a three-story, mixed-use structure.
The firm will also look to improve the carriageway on the south side of the shopping center (closest to Boylston Street) as well as create traffic calming measures, pedestrian improvements and landscaping additions.
Across the street, plans are moving along for the Chestnut Hill Square project, which will be located at the former Omni Foods site on Route 9. The project recently announced the addition of a Wegmans Supermarket as one of the development's anchor stores.
Meanwhile, the Atrium Mall, which is located next to the planned Chestnut Hill Square project on Route 9, continues to struggle. Recently, more stores have moved out of the space and the owners have reportedly put the building up for sale.