Landmark Cinemas on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest will be closing its doors in the new year.
A sign on the front door of the theater informs patrons that the last day of showings will be Sunday, Jan. 5.
The theater has been an anchor tenant in the Village Hillcrest plaza for more than 30 years.
Carl White, a janitor who has been helping maintain the theater for 10 years, said he's sad to see the theater shut its doors but is thankful for the memories.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"For us, it's been like a family partnership," White said. "We're the cleaning company, but we make sure they open their doors and it's clean."
Across the street at Snooze A.M. Eatery, general manager Kirsten Searcy said this is an unfortunate sign of the times.
"It's just devastating," Searcy said. "This is a cultural epicenter for Hillcrest. It was over here for so long."
Local
Searcy said many other businesses along Fifth Avenue have also closed in recent months, including two businesses next door to Snooze.
The news of the latest closure has compounded Searcy's feeling of loss.
"I've watched tons of movies there, and it's just really sad to see more people displaced from jobs and more empty and vacant, abandoned buildings over here, which is going to do nothing to help the economy," Searcy said. "It just makes it perpetually worse."
It's not clear what the future holds for Village Hillcrest. Both White and Searcy fear that the building will be turned into a housing complex.
NBC 7 reached out to Landmark Cinemas' corporate offices but has not heard back. NBC 7 also reached out to the city of San Diego for a comment on whether there are any plans in the works for Village Hillcrest but is also waiting o hear back from there.
