The former AMC theater in downtown Big Rapids has officially been purchased.

Jordan Stancil, the owner of the historic Rialto Theater in Grayling, made the announcement via a press release on Wednesday, Jun. 4. 

“I will renovate and reopen this theater and look forward to bringing new box office hits back to downtown Big Rapids,” Stancil said.

Stancil, a former Foreign Service officer with the U.S. State Department who served in the Middle East and Europe, returned to Grayling in 2013 to revitalize the Rialto, a single-screen theater founded by his great-grandfather in 1915. He also collaborated with a developer to reopen a closed AMC Classic location in Alpena, which successfully reopened as a three-screen theater, named Sanctuary Cinema, in 2023.

Stancil said the Big Rapids location would feature new luxury seating after an extensive renovation, leaving nothing from the previous theater. The theater will also be open daily, primarily showing first-run films.

“This will be a first-run movie theater where you can see major box office hits from leading studios as soon as they’re released,” Stancil said.

In partnership with the city of Big Rapids, Jordan Stancil plans to transform the parking lot adjacent to the theater into a vibrant public garden or park. City commissioners recently approved a $90,000 purchase of the lot, which was contingent on Stancil’s acquisition of the former AMC theater.

 

^{A photo of the theater's adjacent parking lot, which will be transformed into a community space.}

“This will beautify the area and create a lasting public benefit for the city,” he said. “I saw in Grayling and then in Alpena the excitement and happiness created when you revitalize a downtown movie theater. A good movie theater enhances the quality of life in a small town and brings thousands of additional visitors each year to the downtown area, helping surrounding businesses grow. I think this will be a tremendous benefit for Big Rapids.”

The AMC Theater has been closed since 2020. The timetable for re-opening is unknown at this time.

_{Release information courtesy of Stancil and Rialto Theater.}