Two large-format auditoriums featuring 70-foot wall-to-wall, curved screens four stories high, a wall-to-ceiling surround-sound system and electric reclining leather seats are a few of the features of a new movie theater coming to Riverview.
Xscape Riverview 14 will be built on 2.1 acres at the intersection of I-75 and Progress Boulevard. Construction is expected to break ground on the 60,000-square-foot theater in the fall, with a projected opening in the second quarter of 2016.
The company expects the $15-million project to attract more than 500,000 guests per year and create more than 50 jobs. Ticket prices are expected to be comparable with other local first-run theaters.
“We looked at the market area down there, where the growth was taking place and where the competitors were and felt like there was a hole in the market and it was a good opportunity,” said Chance Ragains, CEO of Xscape Theatres. “We think the whole corridor down there is going to continue to experience growth, and as a retailer you want to get out in front of that and we just think there is a lot of long-term potential there.”
Xscape 14 Riverview will look to serve moviegoers in Riverview, Gibsonton and Apollo Beach as well as Brandon.
The new theater comes on the heels of a new 14-screen Goodrich Quality Theaters multiplex at Gibsonton Road and I-75 that is due to open in November. The Goodrich theater also features a large-format auditorium, a bar and grill and recliner seating.
Both theaters will give local film fans, who previously had to travel to Brandon to take in a movie, options that are closer to home.
“We think we have the perfect location,” Ragains said. “We did our market research, and it just seemed like an underserved area there that did not have a lot of good entertainment options that were convenient. As we started talking to local residents, it was something that we consistently heard that [a movie theater] was one thing that was really lacking around there.”
Ragains said, “The closest option was Brandon, which is a little ways up the road and pretty crowded. All the folks that I spoke to in Riverview thought this would be a good addition to the community.”
The Xscape Theatre will feature crystal-clear digital sound and 4K digital projection with bright, immersive 3D technology. The two large-format auditoriums will also feature the Dolby Atmos surround-sound system.
Movies will be presented in 2D and 3D, with all 14 theaters featuring electric reclining leather seats.
Xscape Theatres is an Indiana-based motion picture exhibitor. The company has developed more than 30 theater locations across 12 different states since its founding in 1997.
“What has made us successful and gotten us to where we are today is how we differentiate ourselves from the customer-experience standpoint,” Ragains said. “The formula for success in this industry, outside of the changes to the physical building, is not that much different than it was many years ago — which is you want to have a clean facility where the customers are well taken care of and where you serve hot, fresh concessions. Generally, if you do that well, then they will continue to come back.”
For more information about Xscape Theatres: www.XscapeTheatres.com or 812-945-4006.