After 30 years of operation in Whitehall, NorthStar Cinemas announced last week that it will close at the end of the summer, citing "circumstances beyond our control." WOOD-TV reported that the closure date will likely be around Aug. 20.
Multiple calls to the cinema's business office seeking comment on the closure had not been returned at press time.
The cinema, located on Whitehall Road just south of Colby Street, opened in June 1996. The NorthStar Cinemas in Rockford, which opened in 2001, will also close at that time. The closure will leave the White Lake area without a first-run movie theater, with the closest options in Muskegon and Fremont.
"Over the 30 years of operation we have made lifelong friends, had wonderful conversations about great movies (and some bad ones too!), and watched many of you grow from children into incredible adults," read, in part, a July 28 Facebook post by the cinema.
The property has been listed on several real estate websites for weeks with a listed asking price of $665,000.
In the Facebook post, the cinema said that in its remaining weeks of operation, it would waive the $1 refill charge for those who purchased the 2026 refillable popcorn bucket.
"We wish all our great and loyal customers who stuck with us through the pandemic and beyond the absolute best," the post read. "Thank you for letting us entertain you for 30 years!"
