Charlotte’s old Manor Theatre Eastover cleared for redevelopment. What’s next
The redevelopment of a historic movie theater in Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood has taken a significant step forward.
Charlotte City Council approved a rezoning request Monday from the developers of the former Manor Theatre complex. With the approval, the nearly 80-year-old theater will be turned into housing.
“There’s a lot of excitement around reimagining some of our historical spaces in Charlotte,” said Councilwoman Kimberly Owens during Monday night’s meeting. “We’ve seen it with the Carolina Theatre. We’ve seen it with the Excelsior Club… I’ve heard it referred to as a plan to honor the Manor, and I’m hopeful that continues through in execution.”
Eastern Federal Corp., which owns the complex, will be redeveloping the site in partnership with StreetLights Residential.
In January, the two developers announced plans to redevelop the site at 609 Providence Road into a mixed-use development featuring 120 to 130 residential units and about 35,000 square feet of retail space.
But first, a back portion of the site had to be rezoned to allow for residential uses. That was approved Monday.
It’s unclear when construction will begin or what will happen to some of the businesses in the complex. Laurel Market is relocating to 1900 E. Seventh St. in Elizabeth.
But the theater has been closed since 2020, and changes have already been on the horizon for that location.
About Manor Theatre in Eastover
The Manor Theatre opened in 1947 and was operated by Eastern Federal. It developed into Charlotte’s premiere independent art house theater.
Eastern Federal sold the theater to Regal in 2005, which continued running the show as Regal Manor Twin until the pandemic struck.
Like many theaters, social-distancing requirements forced movie houses to temporarily close. And many did not reopen. That included Regal Manor Twin.
At the time, it was Charlotte’s last full-time art house, the city’s oldest movie theater and was dubbed “the last great community cinema in Charlotte.” But Charlotte did get a new independent theater, when Independent Picture House opened in 2022.
