By BEN FIELDS / The Independent
Cannonsburg — After decades of hints, rumors and even the odd public announcement, work has finally begun on a new, 10-screen, stadium-seating theater at the Kyova Mall.
However, some changes have been made since mall management last commented on the project in May.
Instead of being a free-standing building, the cinema will occupy the former Phar-Mor store at the front of the mall.
The facility will also be managed by Phoenix Theatres, not Great Escape, as was previously announced.
Mall Manager Steven Blair said it began to make sense to use an existing structure to house the theater, rather than building a new one.
“In the end, it was about coming to an agreement,” Blair said. “Phoenix Theatres has more experience with retrofitting box buildings and was more comfortable with it than Great Escape.
“Great Escape is a great company, it’s just that Phoenix ended up being a better fit.”
Demolition began Friday on the interior of the Phar-Mor building.
Theater projects had been in the rumor mill for the mall since it opened as the Cedar Knoll Galleria more than 15 years ago.
The latest plans for a theater were scrapped in 2002, as the troubled mall continued to spiral downward.
However, new ownership and a new name sparked hope once again in 2004, and the Kyova Mall fueled that hope by announcing plans to bring in a new, state-of-the-art cinema once a group could be found to operate the theater.
Indeed, the mall’s new owners put up $5 million of their own capital to make sure the project got started.
In May, the first official announcement came that the theater would be open by Nov. 15, and would be constructed in a style similar to that of Pullman Square in Huntington.
The plan called for clearing 11,000 square feet of existing mall space, and the construction of an enclosed atrium to give both the mall and the theater an indoor/outdoor feel.
Those details have now changed, but the new design will still be cutting-edge — with stadium seating, digital surround sound and the ability to purchase tickets online — and the theater is still scheduled to be open in late 2006, Blair said.
“As of right now, we’re still on track to open before Christmas,” he said.
Blair admitted it felt good to get the project started, especially after so many rumors surrounding similar projects under the previous ownership fell through.
“It’s a huge relief,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of the battle is getting started.”
Phoenix Theaters is a privately-owned company based in Knoxville, Tenn.
The group operates eight theaters in six states and Washington, D.C.
BEN FIELDS can be reached at bfields@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.
