Sheldon S. Shafer

Louisville Courier Journal

The operators of the Village 8 Theatres say the landlord has advised them that the popular St. Matthews cinema complex can stay open a while longer and won't have to close soon after the first of next year.

Sandy Metts, head of the Metts Co. that owns the strip mall in St. Matthews where the popular discount theater complex is located, said she still plans to close on the sale of the Village Center mall to KentuckyOne Health in October. But she said the health care company wants to keep disruption to business to a minimum and has agreed to let Village 8 operate until at least June 30, 2017.

It was reported earlier this year that Village 8 was due to close around the end of 2016, with KentuckyOne Health intending to take title this fall to the Village Center mall on Dutchmans Lane in St. Matthews where Village 8 is located.

The parties said they had agreed to let the cinemas operate through its busy holiday season but that the screens would go dark no later than January 2017.

The news that developed this week is that Village 8 will not be closing on that schedule.

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"We fully intend to stay open as long as we can," said Bryan Senteney, general manager of Village 8 and also the Baxter Avenue Theatres operated by Apex Entertainment. Apex is owned by businessman Les Aberson Jr.

Senteney said Apex Entertainment officials hope to work with KentuckyOne on an arrangement to operate as long as possible. KentuckyOne spokeswoman Barbara Mackovic said the plans for the strip mall property have not been finalized. She said that other tenants have also been given the option to stay until mid-2017.

Metts affirmed that the sale of the strip center will go forward.

The strip mall has about a dozen tenants, in addition to Village 8. They include a pharmacy, a tennis center and smaller occupants. Some of the tenants, including the Louisville Bridge Club, have already found new quarters.

The land under contract to KentuckyOne includes extensive parking on both sides of the main L-shaped commercial restaurant, office and business complex.

The Village 8 cinema complex opened in 1975 and was acquired by Apex in 1996.

KentuckyOne has other holdings in the heart of an area that is already a Mecca for medical-related development. Its purchase of the Metts property would keep it out of the hands of its primary competitors, the Norton and Baptist organizations.

Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital and Baptist Health Louisville hospital are located near the Village mall, as is Jewish Hospital Medical Center East, mainly an outpatient facility just east of Breckenridge Lane off the Watterson Expressway.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.

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