By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net
Our Town Cinemas Davidson confirmed Wednesday that it plans to renovate vacant storefronts in Sadler Square as a 4-screen, first-run movie theater that could be open by year’s end. Plans call for “bistro table” seating an an “expanded concession menu” of food and drink.
The independent Charlotte-based company is led by Curtis Fainn,who has 38 years’ experience movie theaters and film distribution.
Word of the potential project first began circulating this spring, when the developers applied for a building permit and began seeking investors. They were close to an announcement in July, but a delay in obtaining bank financing held that up. (See our Aug. 11 report, “Details emerge about proposed Sadler Square cinema.”)
Now, with financing from BB&T Bank now in place, Mr. Fainn and investors are moving forward quickly.
Demolition began Wednesday and Our Town Cinemas hopes to open by the holidays at year’s end, spokeswoman Jan Black told DavidsonNews.net. Design and renovation of the theater space is being handled by Bob Lauer of ADW Architects and Kosta and Dino Pappas, of Vrettos Pappas Consulting Engineers. The contractor is Proline Construction.
The shopping center, off Griffith Street, also includes a Healthy Home Market and The Egg at Davidson. The theater will occupy 9,750 square feet of storefronts that once housed a CVS pharmacy and a pizza parlor.
A building permit for the project puts the estimated cost of the renovations at $273,000.
Plans call for four auditoriums – two with 86 seats each and two with 39 seats each. Seating would be a mix of fixed seats and bistro tables and chairs.
FIRST RUN FILMS
Davidson lies in a “no competition” zone between big chain theaters in Huntersville and Mooresville. Ms. Black said Wednesday that means Our Town Cinemas qualifies to get first-run films without bidding wars or competition. “Because they’re five miles from Birkdale (in Huntersville) and 5 miles from AmStar (in Mooresville), they’re in a no compete zone,” she said.
The table seating and expanded concession stand will give theater-goers a different option from what’s available elsewhere in the area. And the theater will be within walking and biking distance of Davidson College and neighborhoods in the old part of town.
Our Town Cinemas says it hopes to create “a more personal and family friendly social entertainment environment. Our facility provides residents of Davidson and Lake Norman the welcome feeling and excitement they remember from their original hometown cinema, complimented by the enhancements of the new generation technologies in today’s entertainment experience,” the company said in a press release Wednesday.
The theater also hopes to develop partnerships with local businesses and institutions as it plans both programming and its concession menu. Organizers say they want to become a “vital community destination” through both special film programming and other presentations in the theaters.
Special programming series could focus on art films, classics, religious or motivational films or sports, the organizers said.
Besides films, programming could include high-definition presentations, educational meetings and films, seminars and training. The theaters also will be available for rental.
In announcing the theater project, Our Town Cinemas quotes Mayor John Woods as welcoming the news. “A unique cinema venue would be a wonderful addition to downtown Davidson, offering various creative entertainment possibilities, a convenient community gathering place for college students and citizens,” he said in the press release. “In addition, the possibility that a single theater could be reserved for special meetings creates a whole new set of opportunities.”
RELATED LINKS
Aug. 11, 2009, DavidsonNews.net, “Details emerge about proposed Sadler Square cinema”
Our Town Cinemas website.
