When the Granite City Cinema opened in Granite City, Illinois in August 2010, the city chose St. Louis Cinemas to operate it while still retaining ownership. In December 2011, it notified the company that it was going to sever its relationship with the company and take over operations itself, according to an article published in the Suburban Journals December 27, 2011:

Granite City will take over the management of the Granite City Cinema on New Year's Day.

All employees of the movie theater, who were STL Cinemas' employees, will work for the city after Jan. 1. The city previously reimbursed STL Cinemas for their salaries and other operating expenses.

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The city owns the movie theater at 1243 Niedringhaus, and paid for its $3.6 million construction.

"We appreciate what STL Cinemas did for us," said Mayor Ed Hagnauer. "It's time for us to move on and take it over ourselves."

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Theater manager Lanny Mann and assistant manager Travis Cape will continue to do day-to-day management of the movie house as city employees. Mann has been in the business since the 1970s and Cape about 20 years.

"They'll have better control of what they want this building to do," Mann said of the city's control of the theater.

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A follow-up article published today mentions that taking back ownership will allow the theater to cater to the needs of the community:

With the city at the reins of Granite City Cinema, Granite City Mayor Ed Hagnauer said residents can expect the theater to begin reflecting more of the interests of the community.

"There are certain movies that aren't going to go in Granite," he said. "With (manager Lanny Mann) and (assistant manager Travis Cape) being here every day ... they have a better feel for what we may want playing in our theater."

To find out what's playing at the theater, head over to their Showtimes page and make your plans!