An era of movie-going at routes 9 and 35 came to an end with the closing of Amboy Multiplex Cinema, a theater that at one time seemed both giant and state-of-the-art. Built 26 years ago on the site of a former drive-in, the facility over time grew outdated, and its owner chose not to fund renovations after the recent finding of settling of the theater floor.
Sayreville officials hope to turn the loss of a community asset and tax ratable into something positive, perhaps by linking the site to the National Lead redevelopment area. The property is in a great location with its visibility, access to major highways and proximity to an area already being eyed by the borough for redevelopment. Nobody wants to see a once-vibrant movie theater become a blight on the landscape when it could, as Mayor Kennedy O’Brien put it, provide a perfect fit to the redevelopment effort along the Raritan.