‘Nothing was salvageable’: Palace Multiplex in MoBay shuts down due to Melissa damage

Ravaged by the onslaught of Hurricane Melissa last October, the operator of the Palace Multiplex in Montego Bay, St James, has been forced to shutter its operations.

Palace Amusement made the announcement on Friday, bringing the curtains down on more than two decades of operation in the second city.

“Amidst the shock and pain of it all, we struggled to pick through the rubble, hoping for the best, but eventually had to grapple with the reality that nothing was salvageable. It was all gone,” the company said in a release.

“After months of careful discussion and analysis, we must now face the reality that we cannot turn the lights back on at Palace Multiplex.

“Montego Bay became a second home for us from the day we began construction, eventually opening our doors to an appreciative and adoring public. Now, more than two decades later, we can truly say that it was our pleasure to have brought you the best of cinema,” it continued, thanking patrons for their support over the years.

Jason Russell, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, described the closure of the Palace Multiplex as a major loss to the city, dubbing it the “COVID-19 effect,” where the hurricane dealt a crippling blow to many industries already struggling in the aftermath of the pandemic.

“It is a very sad loss. The Palace Multiplex has been a part of MoBay for nearly three decades, so to see that they had to close is really sad,” Russell said, adding that businesses in the area continue their brave fight to recover and remain viable.

He said the Palace Multiplex is the second major establishment — the other being a long-standing supermarket — to shutter following the storm, but added that he is not aware of any others set to close.

Many hotels are still closed for repairs, he said, but most are reporting earlier reopening times than initially projected.

- Corey Robinson

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