$14M cinema to open at Fallen Timbers

Toledo Business Journal, Aug 2007

National Amusements, Inc. is building a new 14-screen movie theater at The Shops at Fallen Timbers in Maumee; it is expected to accommodate approximately 3,000 customers. The company is investing approximately $14 million in the theater project, called Showcase 14 at Fallen Timbers, which will open late this year.

Construction began last September on The Shops at Fallen Timbers, which is expected to open in October and feature one million square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment surrounding a lake and boardwalk, General Growth Properties, Inc. is the developer, owner, and manager of the center. The company is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) with an ownership interest in or management responsibility for a portfolio of more than 200 shopping malls in 44 states as well as ownership in planned community developments and commercial office buildings. The company's portfolio totals approximately 200 million square feet of retail space and includes more than 24,000 retail stores nationwide.

According to General Growth Properties, The Shops and theater will be designed with distinctive architectural features that resemble an old-style Midwest Main Street. Waterfront walkways and fire-rings sparkling in the water at night will be evident in the atmosphere as well. The development is to be part of a 400-acre mixed-use project that will include an office park and larger freestanding retail stores.

Contractors working on the center include Cleveland-based ka Architecture; The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc., The Lathrop Company; and Miller Brothers Construction.

Along with the National Amusements facility, a four-story hotel, 90 retail stores (such as Dillard's, JC Penney, and Barnes & Noble), and six restaurants (including P.F. Chang's China Bistro) are planned for the Fallen Timbers center.

"We are very pleased that the theater will be opening around mid-December 2007," stated William Towey, senior vice president of operations, National Amusements. "Patrons will be able to enjoy the new holiday films in this brand new cinema."

Detroit-based Roncelli Inc. is the general contractor and Philadelphia-based SPG3 is the architect for the 57,440 square foot theater. To date, SPG3 has completed 20 multiplex stadium seating movie theaters and nearly 200 screens nationwide.

According to Wanda Whitson, director of corporate communications for National Amusements, the design of the cinema will be similar to that of the company's Levis Commons theater with 14 state-of-the-art auditoriums to include stadium-style seating. Dolby(R) Digital Surround EX sound will provide audio. Additionally, brands like Nathans and Starbucks will be sold in the concessions area.

Whitson added that her company selected the Maumee site because it has worked with General Growth Properties for many of its theaters. Additionally, the village-style design of the development is appealing to the company.

According to National Amusements, the new theater will create over 100 jobs. Approximately 20 full-time equivalent employees will be hired.

"The Shops at Fallen Timbers will not only bring economic benefit in terms of jobs and tax revenue, it will be a gathering place for our community," explained Maumee Mayor Tim Wagener. "It took a long period of patient cooperation, negotiation, and compromise involving the surrounding community, local government, and private developers, but the value of that effort will soon be realized when the shops open their doors. This is a great public-private partnership that will benefit generations to come."

"National Amusements is proud to be part of the Greater Toledo community, a community that clearly loves a superior movie-going experience," added Towey. "We look forward to serving our patrons and providing them with the finest in entertainment, food, service, and technology."

National Amusements, Inc. operates more than 1,500 movie screens in the United States, United Kingdom, Latin America, and Russia. Based in Dedham, Massachusetts, its brands include Showcase, Multiplex, Cinema de Lux, and KinoStar. The company is operating under the third generation of leadership by the Redstone family.

National Amusements is also an equal partner in the online ticketing service, MovieTickets.com, and it is the parent company of both Viacom and CBS Corporation.