Sun-Ray Cinema Plans Second Location in Beauclerc

An abandoned building in Jax’s Beauclerc neighborhood may soon be getting a major revamp courtesy of a Riverside movie-goers’ favorite.

Five Points theater Sun-Ray Cinema announced via Facebook earlier today that it plans to open a new, five-screen theater within the former Kmart location at 9600 San Jose Boulevard near Kori Road in Beauclerc.

Preliminary plans posted by Sun-Ray Cinema show five theater screens as well as a kitchen attached to a concession stand – which means the theater will likely serve a menu similar to the one it serves at its Five Points location. It would occupy one end of the building, while the other end would be marketed to other retailers and restaurants.

This would be Sun-Ray Cinema’s second overall location; its first location opened at 1028 Park Street in Five Points back in 2011, with another screen added in 2014. The Five Points location is also set to undergo a renovation once the second location opens.

While plans for a second location have been in the works for around a year, there is not yet a firm timeline as far as when construction would begin on the new theater, assuming that everything goes as planned.

The Kmart property is currently owned by a subsidiary of locally-based Ash Properties, which purchased it in 2015. Kmart closed in 2016; the building has sat vacant ever since.