Could Almonte Shopping Center be due for a revival?

[megax11]

So I went to Family Dollar to get some hairspray, and some guy went in there and was going on about something.

He said Taste of China is opening up in the unit the Bingo Hall was in. Sure enough, as I left and passed by it, they are totally gone. YAY! Stupid Bingo Halls, ruining plazas.

In anycase, he said Taste of China owners bought the place for 85,000, and plan on starting construction on March 1st.

This is in Almonte Shopping Center located around 59th and May.

[SoonerDave]

I remember the Almonte shopping center back in its heyday, primarily because of the Almonte 6 Cinemas. That was one of the most underappreciated theaters in Oklahoma City - well before the super-megaplexes (although I guess having 6 screens was a multiplex for its day) - comfy seats, good views, good sound, just a great place for a movie, and while you were waiting you could go next door to the little burger joint and play pacman or whatever.

I remember standing in line at the Almonte in June of 1982 on the first Saturday that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan premiered. The line was practically all the way down the mall. Packed house.

Also remember running into an old girlfriend there once, and it was kind of a bummer, but that's a thread all unto its own

Saving for the gang influence that's apparently in that general area, or at least a bit south, I would think that intersection would generate enough traffic to make that center at least somewhat lucrative. The Southern Oaks branch library has temporarily relocated there while their building is being completely remodeled and overhauled, and its actually a very nice place. The rest of the mall is essentially barren, so it would seem a good time for anyone willing to take a risk to see if anything can be done to the center. With the library and now the restaurant going in, there's obviously some value seen there by someone..

Now, is this the same "Taste of China" that operates over at SW 74th and Western? Are they moving, or just opening another location?

[megax11]

From what this guy said, they would be opening a new location. The one on Western will remain there.

I hope this means good things for this plaza. I had dreams at one time, of Almonte Cinema being back in business again. However, I think half of the theater was turned into a doctor's office, if I'm not mistaken.

[SoonerDave]

From what this guy said, they would be opening a new location. The one on Western will remain there.

I hope this means good things for this plaza. I had dreams at one time, of Almonte Cinema being back in business again. However, I think half of the theater was turned into a doctor's office, if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, I think about a third, maybe half, of the theater area was converted. It looks really weird, because the theater portion looks just about like it did when it closed down umpteen years ago. The ticket stand up front is still sitting there, the carpeting and stuff (that wasn't affected by the other construction) looks like its stuck in a time machine. Heck, the small old sign that held the letters displaying showtimes is still hanging up there at the front. It'd be sad and interesting to see the theaters and projection rooms, although I bet all kinds of unpleasant critters have taken up therein...

[oneforone]

Yeah, I think about a third, maybe half, of the theater area was converted. It looks really weird, because the theater portion looks just about like it did when it closed down umpteen years ago. The ticket stand up front is still sitting there, the carpeting and stuff (that wasn't affected by the other construction) looks like its stuck in a time machine. Heck, the small old sign that held the letters displaying showtimes is still hanging up there at the front. It'd be sad and interesting to see the theaters and projection rooms, although I bet all kinds of unpleasant critters have taken up therein...

I remember driving by there over the years and thinking it looks like they just closed for the night and never came back. My movie theater memories as a kid consist of the old Southpark Theater on 44th and May, The Almonte Theater and the theater that used to be in the backside of the City of Moore Shopping Center. When General Cinema moved in up by Crossroads all the southside theaters more or less died.

[White Peacock]

That's the neighborhood I grew up in, and as a kid, that shopping center was a staple. There was a Coney Island location there. If I remember correctly, it's where the barber shop is (or in the storefront just next to it), and the chili dogs were incredible.

I was told that the theater was shut down and intentionally kept shut down, as the owners apparently own the Crossroads cinema, and they didn't want any southside competition for the Crossroads location. Still, I'd love for them to revitalize the shopping center. Relocating the dollar theater from Crossroads into the Almonte theater would be a nice move.

[Snowman]

Stupid Bingo Halls, ruining plazas.

By the time a bingo hall is accepted as a tenant in a plaza, it was probably already having issues.

[Reggie Jet]

The Metropolitan Library System has had a temporary location there while they have been renovating Southern Oaks. They've discovered a whole new group of users and may keep a location at Almonte. From what I here, the landlord is very interested in getting them to sign a lease.

[bombermwc]

I don't know why they would stay there if their real building is being renovated. MLS doesn't typically have libraries that close to one another....although that branch is very busy. There would be no way to really maintain a good collection at both.

And of course they are interested, the place is dead. There's nothing around there that would make anyone want to open a business there. They all closed for a reason. It's not a good area and it's definitely not thriving in terms of business.

It's a bad location too. Not near a highway, the intersection isn't really a major one...we're not talking 59th and western or walker.

Sorry guys, but its dead. I've been over to that library location several times in the last few months as well. I can't wait until it's moved back to the Southern Hills location.

[White Peacock]

It's a bad location too. Not near a highway, the intersection isn't really a major one...we're not talking 59th and western or walker.

It's less than a mile from I-44 down 59th St.

I think it died as a result of White Flight and the impressive growth along 89th St. There's no reason it couldn't thrive again if the right businesses were to set up shop.

[bombermwc]

It's less than a mile from I-44 down 59th St.

I think it died as a result of White Flight and the impressive growth along 89th St. There's no reason it couldn't thrive again if the right businesses were to set up shop.

Well i guess i should have spoken more precisely. It's not ON a highway and i still say the intersection isn't a good one. The economic power of that intersection is just gone. Any old strip center could thrive again if "businesses set up shop", but that's entirely the point. They won't....otherwise they would have already. That's part of why places like Heritage Park Mall died...and it's sitting in the middle of a very strong area. But like this one, when the new economic powers are on the highway (like 29th in MWC...and soon to be the East side of the airport), those that are even a short stint away have to do MAJOR things to stay in the market, or they close.

[megax11]

ANY place can come back up, if the owners of any given plaza do something more than mooch off the money bingo halls bring them.

If they renovated the Almonte Plaza to look a bit better, I bet they could fill them back up with businesses.

The owner of said plaza would then have to boot out the thrift store and doctor's office, in order to do something more with it. They could easily put some good stuff back in there.

Problem is, people in life like easy money. The less they have to invest in something, the easier is to pile in the profits, due to things like bingo halls lining their pockets.

[megax11]

Hmm, interesting.

I was looking for old pics of Almonte 6, when I stumbled across this site. What interests me the most, is the last user comment on this link. Take a look.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/12469


Wonder why he would be in there rewiring the place?

[Spartan]

It's less than a mile from I-44 down 59th St.

I think it died as a result of White Flight and the impressive growth along 89th St. There's no reason it couldn't thrive again if the right businesses were to set up shop.

Impressive and 89th Street in the same sentence. Now I've seen it all.

[stick47]

There was a pretty good news stand in the West end of the Almonte Ctr too.

[SoonerDave]

My wife grew up in that neighborhood just south of that center. It's an odd mixture of houses that cut across both OKC and Western Heights school districts, even down the same street. She reminds me of the Peter Piper Pizza that once more or less anchored the east end back in the day. Hard to say if that stripmall can be rehabbed.

I remember the old Park Terrace theater on Western, but when it stated going downhill, it declined rapidly. I saw the first Star Trek movie way back in 1979 at the South Park on May, but even then that area was in the early stages of deterioration. The General Cinema at Crossroads was not a bad place in its heyday, either.

[BlackmoreRulz]

When was the cinema added on to Almonte Shopping Center? I remember it as a very busy place anchored by Rudy's Red Bud, TG&Y, and Hancock Fabrics.

[Garin]

I seen some plans today that Buy for Less is putting in a new Super Mercado store in the old Don's food fair location at the Almonte.

[Mel]

I used to live right off 89th and May. The Almonte 6 used to be a nice theatre. But 14 Flags was the better for a date.

[OKCRT]

I used to live right off 89th and May. The Almonte 6 used to be a nice theatre. But 14 Flags was the better for a date.

Of course 14 flags was better for a date because it was a Drive In Movie. I mean you can do a lot more necking in the back seat of your car than you can in a movie chair. Hillcrest Drive In was right over by Almonte BTW and you could watch the planes come in for landing if the movie wasn't any good.

[Mel]

Of course 14 flags was better for a date because it was a Drive In Movie. I mean you can do a lot more necking in the back seat of your car than you can in a movie chair. Hillcrest Drive In was right over by Almonte BTW and you could watch the planes come in for landing if the movie wasn't any good.

Went to the Hillcrest Drive In a lot too. The jets would wash out the dialog but that was part of the fun.

[Easy180]

Favorite movie ever seen at Almonte? I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in '88

Brother and I died laughing through the whole thing.

[Garin]

Empire strikes back

[MWCGuy]

I lived near 14 Flags when I was a kid. I always liked sitting on my swing set and watching the previews at dusk. (Had to be in when the streetlights popped on.)

My neighbors back fence backed up to the Drive In Lot. They had a speaker provided by 14 Flags in their backyard. 14 Flags did that as a gesture for putting up with the noise from the Drive In at night. We went over there to see many movies until we moved in 81. I think 14 Flags closed in the mid 80's and homes were built in its place.