The Edwards Rancho Santa Margarita 6 in Rancho Santa Margarita, California closed after its last shows on Thursday, January 5, 2012. The theater will be converted into a new movie theater operated by Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, which is scheduled to open later this year. A similar conversion is happening right now on the Edwards Ocean Ranch 7 in Laguna Niguel (read the story).

According to a story in the Rancho Santa Margarita Patch, the exact timeline for the theater is still up in the air:

The architect, Brandon Dedmon of SMS Architects in Irvine, says it takes about six months to convert a theater, and although there is no specific date yet set for a Cinépolis opening in RSM, it's a fair bet that the theater house would love to be in business for the July 4 blockbuster movie blitz.

Nate Farnsworth, senior planner for the city, said he doesn't expect anything to stand in the way of the conversion of the property. Cinépolis has applied for conditional use permits to sell liquor and to create an outdoor dining area.

Those permits should be addressed by the planning commission on Feb. 1, and if not then, certainly on the meeting of March 7. The remodeling, though, can begin before those dates.

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