Ketchikan’s only remaining movie theater will soon be under new ownership. The Coliseum Theater in downtown Ketchikan has been owned by Gross-Alaska, Inc. for over a century. The family-owned business also operates Glacier Cinemas in Juneau.
Rumors of the theater’s closure have been swirling in the community since the beginning of May. Gross-Alaska officially announced its departure from Ketchikan in a Facebook post and a letter published in the Ketchikan Daily News on Saturday.
“I just really want you to know that this was not an easy decision for us. We tried to do what’s best for our family and what’s best for the community of Ketchikan and the Coliseum Theater,” Gross-Alaska Vice President Kenny Solomon-Gross said by phone.
Solomon-Gross runs the company with his sister Dorain Gross. He said they are the fourth generation of the family to own and operate the movie theater.
“Both of us don’t have any children that are behind us,” he said. “So there’s not another generation that is going to step in and take over for us. We didn’t really have any plans at the moment to sell the Coliseum Theater, but an opportunity presented itself, and I met with the prospective buyers who are the ones that we’re under contract with and they’re great humans.”
Solomon-Gross declined to reveal the identity of the prospective buyers, saying only that they own other businesses in the First City geared towards cruise tourism. But Solomon-Gross said he didn’t know what was in store for the historic theater.
“I’m not 100% sure what their plans are in Ketchikan, but I do know that they plan on doing some sort of 4-D or 5-D movie with the moving chairs and stuff like that – probably something geared for tourist activities. But then they’re talking about doing the other screen, or maybe even both screens after the ships leave, and showing regular movies in there,” he said.
Solomon-Gross said his family is very grateful for the people of Ketchikan who had their first dates or first jobs or took their kids to the movies for the first time at the theater.
“I know online they’re saying that, ‘Oh, you guys aren’t part of this community.’ Well, we’ve probably been part of that community in Ketchikan for longer than most people that are there right now. I mean, we are truly entrenched in Ketchikan,” Solomon-Gross said, adding that his family’s company has been in business in Southeast Alaska since 1897.
Gross-Alaska announced that the theater will be officially shutting its doors on June 9. Solomon-Gross said over the phone that he expects the deal with the new owners to close soon after that and then remodels will begin.
Juneau’s Glacier Cinema, the company’s other theater, will continue operating as normal.
Solomon-Gross said the Ketchikan theater’s new owners will likely be announced at a farewell event Gross-Alaska is holding at the theater set for the first weekend of June.
“The new owners have reached out to me through their agent, and told me that they want to be part of our celebration,” Solomon-Gross said. “Hopefully we’ll have a community barbecue and be giving out popcorn all weekend long and inviting people to come into the theater and walk through it again, or whatever they want to do. And both my sister and I will be down there to talk to the people of Ketchikan.”