LYNNWOOD — Jeff Loewen is no stranger to movie theaters.
In fact, as an assistant manager at the Regal Mountlake 9 theater, he spends a lot of his time in them.
But even he isn’t escaping the built-up excitement to check out the new Loews 16-screen, stadium-seating theater that is scheduled to open mid March at the Alderwood mall.
“I’ll want to check it out just to see how different it is,” Loewen said. “I think everybody does.”
The mammoth-size building on the south side of the mall’s new Terrace’s wing is forming fast into not just a building but “an experience,” said Jackson Buck, project superintendent for SD Deacon general contractor for the theater project.
“This theater far exceeds anything in the area,” Buck said. “Although it’s unassuming right now because it isn’t finished, the architecture — it’s fantastic,” Buck said.
Besides its size, 96,000 square feet, Buck said “it’s going to be magnificent inside as well.” There are so many special design elements included in the building’s interior and exterior.
“For example, just in the front arch alone, when all the pieces come together — it will be something to behold,” Buck said.
While the building will look good during the day, Buck said at night, in particular, it will be “outstanding.”
“At night, with the activity going on behind the large glass wall, it will all be accentuated,” he said.
He added, “the entertainment will be just as good on the outside as on the inside.”
It is clear that Buck, a native of South Snohomish County and a 1990 Lynnwood High School graduate, is especially pleased with the new theater.
“I have a lot of pride in this building, in particular, because Lynnwood is a sense of home to me,” Buck said. Buck has lived most of his life in Lynnwood.
Buck said the elevation changes from the front seat to the back seat is 22 feet. The lobby has 47-foot ceilings. “It will blow any other theater in the area away,” he said.
“There are screens in this place that are 70 feet by 40 feet and the sound system rivals that of IMAX and Omnidome,” he said.
According to Buck there are two elevators, an escalator and the concessions alone is about the size of the mall’s food court and it is equipped with a full kitchen, which possibly in the future can be used to serve food other than the typical movie theater fare. And it’s all connected to a large covered parking garage.
Buck said Lynnwood city officials have set new, high standards with its building code for this project.
“This building far exceeds the minimum fire, life, earthquake safety requirements,” he said.
Going to this new Loews theater will be an experience, not just going to a show, Buck said, “But you’re going to have to pay for it.”
How much more it will cost to see a movie in this new theater isn’t clear. Officials at Loews wouldn’t comment and/or didn’t return several phone calls from the Enterprise.
The current cost for a movie at the Loews Grand Cinemas, next to Target, which, according to officials, will be torn down after the theater moves to the new building, is $9 for evening shows and $6 for a matinee.
The increase in prices at Loews is in the competition’s favor, Regal hopes.
In order to prevent being seen as a B-movie theater after the March opening of the Loews 16, Regal made upgrades to its Alderwood 7 location on 184th Street SW (near Mervyn’s) this past June, said Russ Nunley, spokesperson for Regal.
“Alderwood 7 has been renovated with a new box office, concession area and also has stadium seating,” Nunley said. “It’s all been brought up to state-of-the-art quality,” he said. He added that Regal won’t be raising its prices, which are also $9 for regular times and $6 for matinees.
The renovation with no fee increases is how the Regal Alderwood 7 will compete with the new multi-plex across the street.
Nunley said, however, Regal’s Mountlake 9 theater has no plans for any upgrades, other than regular maintenance, in the near future.
Another way the two different theaters can exist comfortably within walking distance of each other, Nunley said, is what the industry calls a “film zone.”
According to Nunley, a film zone is when the studios provide each theater with different films.
For example, when Regal Alderwood 7 had the Spider-man movie, Loews Grand Cinemas didn’t. This film zone will continue after the new theater opens.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
