Danbarry closes Florence cinema

The City of Florence said goodbye to long time tenant Danbarry Cinemas on Nov. 6.

The discount theater venue closed its doors on Election Day after nearly 30 years in operation

“Thank you for your patronage,” was released on the corporation’s Facebook page and was spelt out on the theater’s marquee, marking the end of discount cinema in northern Kentucky.

While the closure was expected by some, it hit others hard.

Band Director Dan Barnhill tweeted, “My first ‘real’ part time job in high school! Sad to see it close, but had a feeling it was coming.”

The Danbarry property had been listed on several commercial real estate websites for an asking price in excess of $3 million for months before its closure. The six-acre property has been reduced to an asking price of $2.5 million.

Adjacent to the theater is Turfway Park racecourse, a longtime Florence landmark.

Turfway announced its plans to undergo a massive $25 million renovation of its grandstand on Feb. 21 of this year.

With the renovation in mind, some think the Danbarry property is destined for hotel developments while others hope for something a little more exciting.

In an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, Florence Economic Development Director Joshua Hunt discussed plans for the site in conjunction with the airport runway across the street.

“I’ve worked through a few concepts on the site but height restrictions, due to the runway, were a factor,” said Hunt.

Danbarry, following the closure of the Turfway property, still operates three theatres.

One of these theaters is a first-run theater in Chillicothe, and the other two are dollar savers, like Turfway, both located in Dayton.

Danbarry expressed no specifics on the theaters closure, nor the stability of the corporation itself.