Gator Cinemas has been closed down — at least temporarily — after the City of Gainesville Building Inspection Department deemed it unsafe.
The notice was placed on the theater Friday at 8 p.m., and it is unclear how long the theater will be closed. The city on Tuesday granted the building's owners an extension to make the repairs until March 22.
The building was closed due to a perceived danger of collapse, as well as a lack of functioning sanitation stations. The building's emergency exits were blocked, too.
City spokesman Bob Woods said the city received a call from a plumbing firm last week concerned with problems at the theater. City inspector John T. Martin noticed multiple issues with the building's infrastructure, including a suspicion that the plumbing sewer drain has collapsed.
The theater's owner, Rushmore Oaks LLC, must fix the problems by March 22, else the theater could face fines or be closed permanently. Rushmore Oaks LLC did not return calls seeking comment Monday, but the theater operator did post a statement on its Facebook page: "To Our Loyal Patrons, Unfortunately we are temporarily closed for construction. We will post our reopen date as soon as possible. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused."
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