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Ground Broken On 14 Sites By 2006
Illinois and Indiana Getting
172 New Kerasotes Screens
CHICAGO – Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres announced
on Oct. 7 plans to open more than 172 new stadium-style
auditoria at 14 Illinois and Indiana sites. Sixty-four
of the screens were under construction, another 88 begin
construction next year, and 20 more break ground in 2006.
 When all 172 are completed, they will
increase the circuit’s
screen count by more than 30 percent. In November Kerasotes,
based in Chicago and Springfield, Ill., completed a 2-screen
addition to its existing 8-plex in Mattoon, Ill. When
the facility reopened as an all-stadium-style-seating
10-plex, it raised its circuitwide screen tally to 564
at 76 sites.
The announcement calls for the addition
of a 16-plex, four 14-plexes, six 12-plexes, two 10-plexs
and an 8-plex.
Completion of all sites will elevate the company’s
overall screen count to 736.
Five all-new Kerasotes multis were under
construction at the time of the announcement:
• an Indianapolis 12-plex at Traders
Pointe Mall scheduled to bow Thanksgiving 2004;
• a Muncie, Ind., 12-plex due in April;
• a Machesney Park, Ill., 14-plex due in April;
• a second Indianapolis 12-plex, this one at Washington
Square Mall, set to bow in May; and
• a Michigan City, Ind., 14-plex set to bow in May.
In 2005 the circuit begins construction on seven multis:
• an Algonquin, Ill., 10-plex across from Algonquin
Commons;
• a Vernon, Ill., 10-plex at Hawthorne Mall;
• a Collinsville, Ill., 10-plex;
• an Aurora, Ill., 12-plex at Fox Valley Mall;
• a Hobart, Ind. 12-plex in South Mall;
• a Chicago 14-plex at Grand and Central; and
• a Naperville, Ill., 16-plex at Naperville Crossings.
Two Illinois multis are set to break ground in 2006:
• An Alton 8-plex at Alton Square Mall; and
• a Chicago 12-plex at the Wilson Yards on Broadway between
Montrose and Wilson streets. 
Boynton Beach Mall Plex
Muvico To Bring
16 To Palm Beach
PALM BEACH, Fla. – Muvico Theatres announced on
Sept. 23 plans to build a 3,800-seat 16-plex at the Boynton
Beach Mall in central Palm Beach County.
 The 78,000-square-foot multi will make its home on
Congress Avenue between Boyton Beach and Gateway boulevards.
Its concession stand will offer crispy chicken breasts,
popcorn shrimp and curly fries. All auditoria will boast
stadium-style seating, wall-to-wall screens and digital
sound systems.
Childcare will be available via the multi’s on-site
playroom, supervised by teachers and assistants. The
kid-friendly environment will feature a reading corner,
an arts and crafts space, a science area and a “computer
zone.”
“We very much look forward to expanding our premier
moviegoing experience within the Palm Beach County community,” said
circuit president Hamid Hashemi.
Fort Lauderdale-based Muvico currently operates 233
screens at 12 sites in Florida, Tennessee and Maryland.
Room For Expansion
GTC Adding 35 At
Four Georgia Sites
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Georgia Theatre Company
(GTC) plans to open 35 new screens at four Peach State
sites.
Three new 10-plexes have been earmarked for Carrollton,
Griffin and Dawson County, according to a Sept. 21
announcement.
The St. Simons Island, Ga.-based circuit will expand
its Galleria Stadium Cinemas in Warner Robbins, Ga.,
from a 10-plex to a 15-plex.
All new auditoria will boast stadium-style high-backed
seating and digital surround sound. The three new
sites will be designed to permit the building of
additional
auditoria in the future.
12 Bow In Landover
Oct. 8
Magic Conjures 1st
Maryland Multiplex
LANDOVER, Md. – Loews Cineplex Entertainment (LCE)
and Johnson Development Corp. opened on Oct. 8 the first
Magic Johnson Theatres (MJT) cinema in Maryland.
 The Landover 12-plex is situated near FedEx Field,
home of the Washington Redskins. Spanning over 50,000
square
feet, the sixth site in the MJT chain features
stadium-style seating, oversized high-backed rocker seats, state-of-the-art
digital sound, multiple indoor box office stations and an expanded concessions
stand.
A large atrium lobby features a modern deco theme and
MJT’s signature “Wall
of Fame”: a photo collection of community, civic and corporate leaders,
as well as African-American entertainers and athletes. Among those adorning
MJT’s Landover wall are Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Lawrence, Denzel
Washington, Harry Belafonte, Jesse Owens, Sugar Ray Leonard and Dominique Dawes.
"
Giving back to the community is a core element of our partnership with
Loews Cineplex Entertainment,” said MJT CEO Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
“Loews Cineplex Entertainment and Magic Johnson
Theatres take great pride on being more than just a theatre
and becoming an experience, as well as an entertainment
destination,” stated John McCauley, LCE senior vice president of
marketing.
Manhattan-based LCE currently operates 2,176 screens
at 200 sites worldwide.
Four $1,000 Scholarships
Florida NATO Awards
$4000 To Students
DELAND, Fla. – NATO of Florida’s executive committee announced its
2004 scholarship recipients in late September.
The four $1,000 checks, recognizing exceptional work
in school, academics, theatre and community, went to:
• Keith Warren Hardwick, Waterford Lakes 20,
Orlando, Fla.;
• Kimberly Ann Lauterbach, Breeze Cinema 8, Gulf Breeze, Fla.;
• Ashley Cox, Waterford Lakes 20, Orlando, Fla.; and
• Emily Anne Moore, St. Lucie West 14, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“It was a difficult decision to choose between
so many qualified applicants, but we are certain that
these awardees will be outstanding representatives
of Florida movie theatres,” noted association
president Randi Emerman.
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Four Miles From Manhattan
Muvico 26-Plex
For Greater NYC
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Muvico Theatres announced
on Oct. 5 plans to construct a 26-plex at New Jersey’s
Meadowlands Xanadu, a 4.8-million-square-foot family
entertainment, shopping and office complex situated approximately
four miles west of Manhattan.
 Equidistant from the George Washington Bridge and the
Lincoln Tunnel, the East Rutherford multi will be adjacent
to the Meadowlands Sports Complex on the western spur
of the New Jersey Turnpike/Interstate 95.
An upper “Premier Level” will be a space
connecting the over-21 balconies of nine auditoria to
a full-service restaurant and bar, allowing moviegoers
to take their food and cocktails to their seat before,
after or during a movie.
Besides the restaurant and bar, the level will boast
two concession stands offering traditional movie fare,
fresh sushi, gourmet sandwiches, salads, crab and artichoke
dip, desserts, draft beer, wine and splits of champagne.
A rooftop terrace with a 60-foot
movie screen, complete with an optimized sound system,
will be available for
private outdoor viewing. A helicopter pad will be conveniently
set adjacent to the terrace to provide easy arrival access
for celebrities, dignitaries and exclusive engagements.
Childcare will be available via the multi’s on-site
playroom, supervised by teachers and assistants. The
kid-friendly environment will include a reading corner,
an arts and crafts space, a science area and a “computer
zone.”
All auditoria will boast stadium-style rocker seating
with retractable armrests, wall-to-wall screens and
digital sound.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Muvico Theatres currently
operates 233 screens at 12 sites in three states.
Guayaquil Site Launches Oct. 20
Cinemark Seven
For Ecuador
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador – Cinemark International on
Oct. 20 opened a 7-plex in the Mall del Sur in the southern
part of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
 The new multi serves as a component of what Cinemark
describes as the region’s sole modern shopping
and family activity center.
Spanning over 24,000 square feet, the cinema features
stadium-style seating, high-backed rocker chairs with
cupholder armrests and wall-to-wall screens.
“Cinemark is constructing a modern, state-of-the-art
complex that should grow the movie viewing market in
Guayaquil.
We are pleased to be part of this remarkable project,” stated
circuit president Tim Warner.
Plano, Texas-based Cinemark currently operates 3,238
screens in 33 U.S. states and 13 countries outside the
United States.
Bowling Green Rolls Out
Great Escape
Opens Kentucky 10
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Great Escape Theatres (GET)
on Oct. 15 opened its Greenwood Mall 10-plex in Bowling
Green, Ky.
 The site, formerly home to a Carmike 6-plex, boasts
digital surround sound as well as new stadium-style seating,
screens and concession stands.
“Our investment in the Greenwood theatre shows
our sincere desire to be part of the Bowling Green community
for
many years to come,” said Steve Menschell, GET
vice president of operations.
New Albany, Ind.-based GET currently operates 115 screens
at 12 sites in six states.
Joins For Digital Presentations
GTC Aboard Regal
CineMedia Network
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Georgia Theatre Co. (GTC) has
added Regal CineMedia’s digitally delivered preshows
to its screenings, the two companies announced Sept.
27.
GTC is the first chain outside the Regal Entertainment
Group to exhibit CineMedia’s pre-trailer advertainment
packages.
GTC will also have the opportunity to exhibit CineMedia’s
other digitally transmitted programming, including corporate,
educational and concert presentations.
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with
Regal CineMedia to utilize their cutting-edge digital
network
to provide the patrons of Georgia Theatre Co. with an
enhanced moviegoing experience,” said Bill Stembler,
GTC president.
“
We’ve learned a great deal over the last two years
about how national reach combined with lower cost digital
technology can help create new revenue opportunities
for theatre exhibitors,” stated Kurt Hall, co-CEO
of Regal Entertainment Group. “With the successful
deployment of the [digital content network] in Regal’s
theatres, we are now ready to help other exhibitors improve
their pre-feature programming and increase their seat
utilization with new forms of digital programming.”
Regal CineMedia currently distributes digital content
to more than 5,200 screens at 425 sites in 78 U.S.
markets.
Crown To The Rescue
Hartford Arthouse
Will Remain Open
HARTFORD, Conn. – Crown Theatres announced Sept.
16 that it has taken over operations of Hartford’s
legendary Cinema City specialty quad, located at 235
Brainard St.
 At the urging of Hartford residents and customers of
Crown’s other sites, the circuit acquired Cinema
City and renamed it Art @ Cinema City.
The multi, formerly operated by Northeast Cinemas,
will offer patrons bargain matinees, special twilight
pricing
and the popular Crown Email Club.
“We’re known for providing our patrons with outstanding
service and movie selection, and are extremely happy
that people turned to us to help save an area institution,” said
Hal Cleveland, circuit president and CEO.
South Norwalk, Conn.-based Crown Theatres currently
operates 180 screens in sevn states.
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