Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Community groups urge NYU Langone to preserve Kips Bay AMC and Fairway

A coalition of neighborhood groups, block associations and tenant organizations is asking NYU Langone to preserve the AMC Kips Bay 15 and Fairway Market following its purchase of the Kips Bay retail complex at 570 Second Ave.

In an Aug. 31 letter, the newly formed Save Kips Bay Coalition expressed concern about the potential loss of businesses that residents and hospital employees rely on for groceries, dining and entertainment. 

The nine signatories include the Alliance for Kips Bay, Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, Waterside Plaza Tenants Association, Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association and several other East Side organizations. 

"When a major institution becomes a property owner in a residential neighborhood, it also becomes a neighbor," said Jessica Lavoie, vice president and chair of the Quality of Life Committee of the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, in a statement.

The coalition asked NYU Langone to work with residents and community organizations toward an outcome that allows institutional expansion to coexist with neighborhood-serving businesses.
As previously reported, Assemblymember Keith Powers said his office confirmed that NYU Langone purchased the property, which includes the theater and Fairway, about a year ago. 

The health system has not publicly disclosed its plans for the site, and Fairway's future remains unclear. 

AMC has said the 15-screen theater will operate through the end of the year before closing because the property owner exercised its contractual right to terminate the lease early. A formal closing date has not been announced. 

The theater opened in 1999 under the Loews banner and is currently the only AMC location with an IMAX screen on Manhattan's East Side. 

Powers and six other elected officials previously sent NYU Langone a letter requesting a meeting and calling for greater transparency about the property. They also asked the health system to preserve the theater and supermarket and allow public review of any land-use or rezoning proposals. 

Meanwhile, Community Board 6 will hold a public hearing on the planned AMC closure tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. Details here. 

Find more info at Save Kips Bay. Petition here.
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2026 at 9:06 AM

    Notice to incoming students: This is why you get dirty looks when proudly donning your NYU garb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2026 at 11:51 AM

      dirty a looks to people who actually pay rent, spend money and attend a university that is a major employer. And NYU dental provides excellent care to low income and homeless

      Delete

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