Los Angeles Theatres: Laemmle NoHo 7

5240 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood (Los Angeles), CA 91601 | map |

The news: The theatre is open. Go to a movie! Although Laemmle sold it and did a lease-back deal during the pandemic, the new owners haven't pursued any plans for erecting a new building on the property.

Opened: December 21, 2011. It's located on the east side of the street a block north of Magnolia Blvd. Photo: Bill Counter - November 2022

Website: www.laemmle.com

Seating: 1,100 in 7 auditoria.

In May 2021 Laemmle sold the property to North Carolina-based developer Grubb Properties for $9.5 million. They did a lease-back deal to allow the theatre to continue to operate. Greg Laemmle noted: "We're going to operate as long as we can. We don't think it’s in anyone's best interest to have just a vacant property, but that’s going to be their decision."

Eventually the developer plans to demolish the existing 33,000 sf. two-story building and replace it with a seven-story 128 unit apartment complex on the site that'll also have 5,000 s.f. of commercial space. The plans for the site were announced in "Show's over? Laemmle NoHo 7 theater to become multifamily," a September 13, 2022 article by Trevor Bach and Christian Bautista for the real estate blog The Real Deal. Thanks to Donavan S. Moye for spotting the story.

Laemmle did similar sale and leaseback deals with other developers during the pandemic for the Royal and Pasadena Playhouse 7. The new owners of the Playhouse 7 have leased that complex to Landmark. The Royal is still in operation by Laemmle. The Claremont had a sale pending but Laemmle pulled out, although noting that the venue's future is still uncertain if business doesn't pick up.

The site HyperAllergic had an October 2022 article about the concern of the locals about the potential closing titled "Behind the Fight to Save North Hollywood's Last Indie Cinema."

Status: Still operating and probably that will be the case for a few years.

Interior views: