Opening on Friday September 15, 2006, the Phoenix at the Plaza 10 Cinemas or Plaza 10 Cinemas at Northgate was the first movie theater to be located at Northgate Shopping Center since 1985. It was also the second megaplex movie theater to be built in Durham since 2002. Durham’s Northgate Shopping Center has been a landmark here in the bull city for over 50 years with over 160 shops and services pr
ovided, including two major department stores (Macy’s and Sears) as well as other locally owned shops and services. The theater was located on the eastern side of the shopping center facing the entrance toward Gregson Street side at the intersection of West Club Boulevard and nearby Interstate 85. Opening to great fanfare, it was built on the site of the former Belk-Leggett Department Store and was also the former Thalhimers Department Store during which Northgate Mall was undergoing a huge re-construction phase of the entire facility where it added two additional parking decks and expanded the other side of the mall with more shops and specialty stores. The cinemas offered the newest innovations in entertainment. For one, it offered plush high-backed rocking chair seats and extra wide aisle for maximum comfort. Three of the larger auditoriums were even bigger which were the largest in the Triangle area with 400 seats each. Huge wall-to-wall screens with some of the largest screens anywhere with full DTS-digital sound. Another feature it offered was a huge party room. Two large party rooms were reserved for birthdays and other occasions. The other section featured video arcades that were available for patrons before or after the movie. Free parking was available in both the outside entrance to the theater and at the parking decks. The upper level of the lobby featured a sports bar and pub that was a gathering place before or after the movie, which catered to older patrons. The concession stand was huge offering the latest snacks and specialty items. Phoenix Theaters operated the Northgate 10 from its 2006 opening until 2009. In 2009, East Coast Entertainment acquired the Northgate’s operations and the theater now goes by Northgate Stadium 10. And has upgraded the projectors to all digital and improved all Digital Sound Systems to peak quality as of February 1st. 2013. East Coast Entertainment
