Columbia Snowden 14 and ScreenX will close its doors for good on Jan. 5, leaving Howard County with just one movie theater.
Phoenix Theatres Entertainment abruptly announced the closure on New Year’s Eve, just months after taking over management of the Snowden theater known for its 270-degree movie screen. Phoenix Theatres officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The property, located in the 9100 block of Commerce Center Drive, is owned by Sterling Organization, a private equity real estate firm headquartered in West Palm Beach. Sterling officials did not immediately respond to questions about the closure Friday.
Last spring, the firm bought the 9-acre property for $15,765,000 and quickly sought permission to raze the theater and build a 187,500-square-foot distribution center. Warehouse space is valuable and hard to come by in Columbia, which is well-situated near the Port of Baltimore and other major transit hubs.
Movie theaters, however, have struggled to attract audiences as viewing habits changed during the pandemic. Maryland lawmakers authorized a bill in 2025 to expand Howard County’s liquor laws to include movie theaters in hopes of giving them another way to earn revenue.
Phoenix officials said in the spring that they had a multiyear contract with Sterling to manage the theater, though they declined to say when it expired. In the months that followed, the company made a number of improvements to the building, including the addition of new exterior signage and LED lights to the parking lot.
Snowden Columbia theater first opened in 1997. Its closure leaves Howard County residents with just one movie theater — AMC Columbia 14 at the mall.