The 88-year-old Gem Theatre, an iconic movie theatre in downtown Kannapolis at 111 Laureate Way, is preparing for a massive million-dollar interior renovation.
The well-known movie theatre showed its last movie on December 30 and has since closed for $1.2 million of interior renovations. The first phase consists of upgrading the seats, projector, screen, and curtains, reupholstering the balcony seats, and refurbishing the floor, according to the Charlotte Observer. The 700 seats in the theatre will have more cushioning and cup holders but will not recline. The next phase could include expanding the lobby concession area and the back of the theater.
While this is the first time the seats have been improved since the 1960s or 1970s, the movie theatre closed in 2021 for some renovations, which cost $1.1 million. The project consisted of adding a first-floor bathroom that is handicapped accessible, adding a new air and heat system, and installing a new marquee. Gem Theatre is the oldest single-screen movie theater with balcony seating in the country, which is a big reason why the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gem Theatre is expected to reopen in May.
“The only thing that should look and feel a little modern is the seats,” Kannapolis spokeswoman Annette Privette Keller tells the Charlotte Observer. “The colors are going to be from that time period. The city’s willingness to invest in the theater will ensure the ongoing operation of the theater and protect its history. The theater, for a very long time, has been a significant traffic generator to bring people downtown.”
