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Landmark drive-in theatre in Belleville might close

This is how the Skyview looked when it opened in 1949 (photo from theatre website)
This is how the Skyview looked when it opened in 1949 (photo from theatre website)

By AP/KWMU

Belleville, Ill. – The landmark Skyview Drive-in in the Metro East soon may be screening its final features.

Co-owner Steve Bloomer says the 58-year-old venue in Belleville, which once survived a tornado, might fall victim to the rise of multiplexes and scores of hot summers.

Bloomer says there's a point where the 17-and-a-half-acres of land becomes more valuable than the income from the theater, and owners are exploring whether it has reached that point yet.

The theater is billed as the St. Louis area's only drive-in, with its two screens and twin double features.

Bloomer, a 60-year-old insurance agent, says the drive-in has been on and off the market for five years, but this is the first time there have been two potential buyers.

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