The marquee at 430 Plandome Road has been dark for months. The building behind it changed hands this summer, and the new owner has said publicly that a movie theater is what he intends to reopen there. Film producer Jack Heller, founder of Assemble Media, bought the property for $3 million. The deal closed July 27, 2026, according to Long Island Press. Assemble's website now says the theater is "closed for renovations now, with our First Act lineup coming in a matter of weeks." It does not give a date.
The phrase "First Act" points to a phased opening, and the precedent Heller himself cites is a theater that reopened as much more than a film house. The calendar for that reopening also runs through the same infrastructure work every storefront on Plandome Road is working through this year. The theater's next chapter is tied to the street's.
A building that has outlasted its operators
The theater opened in November 1936. Century Circuit built it as a single-screen movie house, and over the decades it operated under Skouras Theatres, Century Theaters, United Artists, Clearview Cinemas and Bow Tie Cinemas. Today it has three screens. Newsday reports the sale also included the corner retail space next door. The full building measures 15,554 square feet and holds two ground-floor commercial tenants.
The recent years were hard on it:
- 2018. Great Neck-based Gilman Management Corp. bought the property.
- April 2019. Bow Tie's lease ended and a new operator took over.
- March 2020. The state's pandemic order closed the theater, and it was still closed in late November of that year.
- The years after. The operator sued Gilman over a 2019 agreement to end its contract at the theater. The case was later settled out of court.
- April 2024. The theater was showing films again and hosted a fundraising movie morning with The Guidance Center.
- June 2026. Heller presented his plans to the Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations.
- July 27, 2026. The sale closed. By early August, Heller had started clearing debris from what Newsday called the "currently shuttered" theater.
The broker who arranged the deal first showed the property to Heller last October. He told Long Island Press that historic theaters draw a limited pool of buyers because of the investment they require. He put the local case plainly to Newsday: "For anyone who lives in this area, this is really the only place to go" to see a movie.
The Southampton template
Heller has pointed to the Southampton Playhouse as the model. His role there is worth stating precisely. Aby and Charlie Rosen led that project. Before it opened, 27east reported that they had brought in Heller as a board member with an integral role in running the theater, alongside partner Alexander Black. At the February 2025 opening, Dan's Papers identified him as a Southampton Playhouse board member.
The Southampton theater sits at 43 Hill Street, in the building that housed the town's longtime movie theater before it closed during the pandemic. Its opening weekend played Captain America: Brave New World and Paddington in Peru. What it offers now goes well beyond first-run tickets:
- An IMAX auditorium plus three Dolby Atmos theaters. Before opening, 27east described the IMAX room as 161 seats with stadium seating.
- A mixed calendar. First-run and independent films share the schedule with repertory and advance screenings, concerts, school and community programs, family programming and live events.
- Talks around the films. The Playhouse offers post-screening discussions, workshops and lectures. Its press page lists a film series curated by Martin and Francesca Scorsese.
- A nonprofit structure. The Playhouse describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization.
- Space beyond the screens. Its materials list a bookstore, a lounge and concessions.
The Manhasset plans reported so far follow the same outline. They call for upgraded projection and sound, filmmaker discussions, family programming and community events. At the June civic meeting, the proposal also included free community events. No one has announced an IMAX screen, a nonprofit structure or a lounge for Manhasset. Southampton shows the kind of venue Heller has helped run. It does not give Manhasset a spec sheet.
Heller's own statement describes the work in stages:
"This first phase of renovations marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, with a long-term vision to transform the property into a premier entertainment destination featuring best-in-class exhibition technology, elevated guest experiences, and a lasting commitment to serving and strengthening the local community."
A "First Act" lineup fits that wording. The theater may reopen before the full renovation is finished, with the larger plan built out over time.
Where Plandome Road comes in
The civic council raised two practical issues in June: parking, and connecting to the new sewer infrastructure. Council president Andrew Schwenk said both would need to be resolved before redevelopment moved forward. He raised both again in the August coverage of the sale.
The sewer has been years in the making for the whole business district. The main line was in by October 2024 and the first business connected in summer 2025. As of Aug. 11, 2025, 106 of the 182 eligible storefronts had signed agreements for the hookup grant program. Long Island Press reported in June that property owners had until Dec. 31 to connect, and that periodic road and sidewalk disruption should be expected through the summer and fall. The Manhasset Chamber of Commerce's 2026 president's letter said the remaining shop owners were expected to connect this year. That deadline is now three months away. No more recent public update has confirmed how many storefronts are still waiting.
The street work comes after the hookups. On Jan. 13, the North Hempstead Town Board authorized road improvements to Plandome Road and Westbury Avenue, with a maximum project cost of $5,859,643. Newsday reported that $4 million of the borrowing is for repaving Plandome Road and replacing sidewalks once the main-line work is done. The town's deputy supervisor said the road needs resurfacing, sidewalks and curbs after the sewer connections are complete. The town's 2026–2030 capital plan release lists sidewalk and sewer construction along Plandome Road without giving dates.
So the theater is renovating on the same timeline as the street outside it. A new lobby could open onto a block that still has sidewalk work ahead. The broker has said the project could be "a great injection of energy" for the business district and could encourage other owners to invest downtown. Schwenk called the vision "a valuable addition to the Plandome Road business district."
What is settled and what is still a plan
| Item | Status as of Oct. 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Sale to Heller closed July 27, 2026 |
| Theater operation | Closed for renovations, per Assemble Cinemas |
| Reopening date | Not announced, "First Act" described as weeks away |
| Programming | Planned: upgraded projection and sound, filmmaker talks, family and community events |
| Parking and sewer connection | Raised as open issues in June and August coverage |
| Plandome Road hookup deadline | Dec. 31, as reported in June 2026 |
| Repaving and sidewalks | Funding authorized January 2026, no dates in the capital plan release |
The owner is also inviting people to share memories and photos of the theater, which it says it wants to honor as part of what comes next. The site has a sign-up for opening news.
Plandome Road has its own event before any marquee lights up. The Manhasset Chamber of Commerce and Shop Manhasset are holding the sixth annual Halloween on Plandome Road on Saturday, Oct. 17. It starts at Mary Jane Davies Green, followed by trick-or-treating at participating businesses.
Downtown Manhasset is changing one storefront and one sewer connection at a time, and the theater at 430 Plandome Road is the largest piece of it. To talk through what the street's changes mean for your own corner of Manhasset, Beth Catrone is glad to share what she is seeing on Plandome Road. Let's Connect.
