Maya Cinemas misses its Oct. 9 target in downtown Salinas; soft reopening now eyed for Halloween

Maya Cinemas will not reopen its downtown Salinas theater on Friday, Oct. 9, as planned. The company said this week that the reopening of the Main Street theater is delayed by unforeseen complexities, pushing back a date set just weeks ago when city officials announced a rescue deal to save the venue.

"We are working to keep this valued entertainment option available to moviegoers," Maya Cinemas said in a statement. "While October 9 was an early target, Maya Cinemas is taking additional time to ensure the reopening is as smooth and successful as possible. We will share updates as they become available."

Main Street in downtown Salinas, strung with holiday lights. The city's rescue partnership for Maya Cinemas includes the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Salinas City Center Improvement Association and One Main Street.

Agarre16 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

The new target, according to KSBW 8: a soft reopening on Halloween, with a full opening the following week. The station reported that Salinas City Councilmember Margaret D'Arrigo confirmed the updated timeline.

The delay lands a month after the theater's sudden closure announcement on Sept. 9 caught local moviegoers by surprise. On Sept. 14, Mayor Dennis Donohue and Maya Cinemas CEO Francisco Schlotterbeck announced a partnership to keep the theater open, joined by the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Salinas City Center Improvement Association and One Main Street.

"Maya Cinemas reopening is terrific news but seeing this partnership come together is a reminder of the power in partnerships," Donohue said at the time.

An arts event at the Valley Art Gallery in downtown Salinas. City leaders have pitched the Maya Cinemas rescue as part of a wider effort to make arts venues an engine for downtown's economy.

Sully art / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Source

The plan called for interior improvements to restrooms, the lobby and common areas, alongside a broader strategy: hosting conferences, community meetings and outside events in addition to film screenings, with expanded Spanish-language and independent programming. The theater, at 153 Main St., has anchored its block of Main Street since the early 2000s.

Company figures cited by KSBW put the post-pandemic attendance drop at 45 percent, a hole the location never climbed out of before the September closure announcement.