Competing cinemas - Orlando Business Journal:

badillodacyroic1505.blogspot.com
Two developers are racing to bring south Lake Countt itsfirst filmhouse, during a time when the rapidlh growing area is anticipatinhg its initial taste of major retailers such as J.C. Staples, Lowe's, Ashley Furniture HomeStorex and BJ's Wholesale Club. Houston-based has signed DeLand-based to operate a 16-screehn movie theater in Weingarten's 342,000-square-foot retaip center Clermont Landings at the northeast cornert of Steves Roadand U.S. Highwagy 27. The project was expectedx to go before the city for finao site plan approval onMarch 7. and The say they are about two months away from formallyy naming a national theater operator to run anotherrproposed 16-screen cinema.
This one is slated for the proposexdPlaza Collina, a $110 142-acre outdoor shopping centerd at Lake Boulevard and State Road 50. That begs the Can Clermont, which has a population of 12,335, support 32 screends in such close proximity? "Because it's so competitive, I wouldc be surprised if two different companies can come in here and each put up 16 says RaySan Fratello, presidentr of the South Lake County Chamber of "There may be somethintg to the notion of whoeved gets there first, the other might back In fact, Clermont Landings may changes its plans once Plaza Collina namesd its theater partner, cautionsa Joseph Russo, Phoenicia director of real "That company will need to evaluate their situatiob after our announcement," Russo says in an e-mail to Orland o Business Journal.
"However, I can tell you our potentia theater company has made it clear to us that it will go forwarx regardless of theother company'ss intentions." Weingarten officials could not be reached for While Russo declines to name his firm's prospective theater tenant at this time, the top thres national cinema operators are , and AMC representativex say they currently are not in discussions to builde in south Lake County. Officials with Tenn.-based Regal say the company has no announcements atthis time. Plano, Texas-baseds Cinemark did not return calls bypresds time.
Meanwhile, there's still a question of whether the two proposes theaters will seeksimilar audiences, says Fran DeMarsh, president of Epic Theaters. For example, some movire theaters are known for drawingfamily audiences, while othersz attract older crowds. "Being in Florida, we have a feel for differen t areas, where our competitio may not," DeMarsh says. He says if both theater s are built, they'll also have to compete for thebest That's because movie theater operators make weeklyg requests for films, and then the film distributors -- typicallyu movie studios -- decidwe which movies are played says Russ Nunley, vice president of marketing and communications for That's how some cinemas get the hot new while others get the olderd movies.
"It's up to every studio everg week todecide what's best for their says Nunley. South Lake County isn't the first area to see developersa race fora cinema. Lake Mary-basex . competed with The Loop in Kissimmewe fora movie-theater tenant about three yearw ago for Pelloni's West Park Town Center in Hunter's The firm initially signerd Fort Pierce-based for a 16-screen theater, says Bart vice president of Pelloni Cos. But Pellonui later chose to build a traditionalo neighborhood shopping center withoura theater, and The Loop ended up openingy a Regal theater.
As for the two proposeds Lake County theaters, Pelloni says they probably woulrd have to fill different needs in the communituto survive. "Maybe they can Pelloni says. "I have seen it wherew one is in a smaller center, attracts smaller attendance and plays older moviews next to a mall that has a megaplex." Eithert way, the chamber's San Fratello wants to see the developments move quickly. "I'm hoping the developers woul d recognize how important it is for us to get thosescreens here.
"