EAST ALTON - The AMC Theater in East Alton has "permanently closed," the website of the business, says today.

East Alton Mayor Darren Carlton confirmed the theater has been closed for better than a month.

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The mayor said from what he remembers, AMC signed a three-year agreement to lease the area in East Gate Plaza about three years ago, so that time period has likely expired.

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AMC does not have any announcements about the closing on its corporate website, and the theater in East Alton is not returning calls at this time.

Mayor Carlton said he believes the COVID-19 Pandemic had a huge financial impact on the East Alton theater because it was forced to close for a long period of time. When it returned, it was open on only a limited basis, he said.

"We would like to see it back open," the mayor said as the theater has had a five-decade run in East Alton.

The mayor said he used to attend the theater as long ago as when he was a kid, and that it has had a significant impact on East Alton over the years. When he returned to East Alton just prior to 1990, he said the theater had added more theaters to its original operation.

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