Movie Gallery Inc., a Wilsonville, Ore.-based video rental chain that operates both Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video outlets in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene market, apparently has closed three of its Hollywood Video stores here.

Company representatives couldn't be reached for comment, but the chain's Hollywood Video stores at 924 N. Division, 1804 W. Francis, and 8901 E. Trent, all appear to have closed.

Earlier this month, employees of the Division Street store, located in Decaro's River Center, could be seen removing the store's inventory, and one employee said the store had lost its lease. However, one of the owners of the building, Frank DeCaro, says, "We did not evict them," and adds that Movie Gallery was "unable to meet financial obligations to the landlord." DeCaro says he expected the store eventually to close, but says, "I was shocked that they moved out over the weekend.

"I think their problem is technology. People can rent a movie at home by pushing a button. Why would they go out and do it?"

The Hollywood Video outlet had been at that location for 11 years and was leasing 6,500 square feet of floor space, DeCaro says. No new tenants have been found for the space, he says.

Hollywood Video also operates stores at 2910 E. 57th, 3121 E. Francis, 10614 E. Sprague, and 10 N. Sullivan, as well as at 560 W. Kathleen, in Coeur d'Alene.

Omar Lopez, the store manager at the Hollywood Video outlet at 2910 E. 57th, says that location is staying open. He wasn't aware of any other locations that were closing in the Spokane area.

"They're just making decisions about whether to keep a lot of stores open," he says of the company. Spokane has "so many of them."

Early this week, the Hollywood Video outlet at 1804 W. Francis was closed, the windows covered, and the landlord was advertising it for lease. The store at 8901 E. Trent had a closed sign on it and the inventory inside appeared to have been removed. Staff members answered the phone at the other Hollywood Video outlets here.

The chain also operates Movie Gallery stores at 12622 W. Sunset Highway, in Airway Heights; at 6613 W. Commercial Park, in Rathdrum, Idaho; and 830 S. Main, in Deer Park.