Two new movie theater chains to open in the vincinity Southland Center

**mtburb** · July-02-14, 12:09 PM

First, Menard's announces a new store on the site of the Gibraltar Trade Center and now this-that's right-and even more, they were announced two consecutive days in a row!

One is going to be a local chain, the other is a national chain that currently operates the dollar theater at the Universal Mall site.

TAYLOR — People soon will be able to drink and kick back in reclining chairs while watching a movie at the former AMC Star Theater.

MJR Digital Cinemas and the city finalized plans Monday for a new multi-screen theater.

MJR will be moving into the former AMC Star Taylor site, 22265 Eureka, across from Southland Center, according to Mayor Rick Sollars.

http://www.thenewsherald.com/article...b843490878.txt

TAYLOR — For the second day in a row, another digital movie cinema has announced it is coming to the city.

Cinemark Holdings will be opening a 12-screen all-digital theater at Southland Center in the former Mervyn’s store space after reaching an agreement with Rouse Properties, which owns the mall.

http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2014/07/02/news/doc53b425e55d6db612976261.txt

Coincidentally, even long before today's announcement, I had actually dreamt of a Cinemark theater opening up in the Mervyn's space. But, what's odd is that both theaters will be within eyesight of each other!

**Danny** · July-02-14, 12:26 PM

Two movie different movie theaters near the same area on Eureka Rd. Weird! But its competition. Who will win or who will lose!

**ferndalien** · July-02-14, 12:44 PM

Back in the day, the Star Taylor was the fancy theater downriver. Could use some updating, this should help.

**mtburb** · July-02-14, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by ferndalien

Back in the day, the Star Taylor was the fancy theater downriver. Could use some updating, this should help.

Well, ironically enough, the chain moving in also happens to own the Southgate theater, which happened to drive the Star Taylor [[and the Star at the Lincoln Park Shopping Center) out of business.

**motz** · July-02-14, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by ferndalien

Back in the day, the Star Taylor was the fancy theater downriver. Could use some updating, this should help.

I have seen what MJR/Emagine do with old Star theaters and let me tell you, they do a nice job on making things feel modern. Glad to see old Star theaters snatched up and given a hand, it's pretty neat!

**mtburb** · July-02-14, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by motz

I have seen what MJR/Emagine do with old Star theaters and let me tell you, they do a nice job on making things feel modern. Glad to see old Star theaters snatched up and given a hand, it's pretty neat!

I also hope that MJR does actually do what whoever owned Spotlight Theaters failed to do when they purchase the old Star. Perhaps you were inspired by when Emagine purchased the Star in Rochester Hills?

**Hypestyles** · July-03-14, 01:47 AM

So who claps along to the "It's more fun at MJR!" intro clips?

Curious that the Mervyn's is being demolished. If Cinemark is running this, an alternative would be to make it a second-run theater like the one on 12 & Dequindre. But this would be interesting to see them open a first-run theater in the metro area. They should also have a rewards card like MJR.

I'm not hung up on a bar, but I would like some more diverse beverage selections- iced tea, vernors, etc.

**Danny** · July-03-14, 05:16 AM

What MJR needs to do is built a bowling alley next to their new movie theater complex. That will compete against Emagine Royal Oak's Star Lanes.

**rooms222** · July-03-14, 06:24 AM

Cinemark last did a first-run theater in Michigan at Grandville when it opened west of Grand Rapids. It is western Michigan's most upscale mall. Within a few years Cinemark sold it to Celebration Cinema, a local chain.

MJR is a strong competitor with fair pricing that the national's don't like. It will be interesting to see how Cinemark stands up to that.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-03-14, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

So who claps along to the "It's more fun at MJR!" intro clips?

Curious that the Mervyn's is being demolished. If Cinemark is running this, an alternative would be to make it a second-run theater like the one on 12 & Dequindre. But this would be interesting to see them open a first-run theater in the metro area. They should also have a rewards card like MJR.

I'm not hung up on a bar, but I would like some more diverse beverage selections- iced tea, vernors, etc.

I am not surprised that Mervyn's is being demolished. That section of the mall is dead and a movie theatre will provide a good anchor for the future. Malls are adapting to be less retail orientated as has been talked about on other threads here. We don't need huge malls anymore when people are trending towards big boxes, internet shopping, and outlet stores.

As far as offerings, you can do what I do, bring your own! That is one of the bright spots of the theatres skimping on the usher staff. Yeah like they need to sell that stuff at $10 for a coke and a box of jujubees. After all tickets are only in the $6-$10 range [[with 3-d being more!).

**mtburb** · July-03-14, 08:55 AM

Well, this showed up in today's Free Press:

Presently without a movie theater, Southland Center mall in Taylor is now the battleground for two dueling multiplex proposals.

No one is predicting that both first-run theaters can survive.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014070...-movie-theater

The article also revealed that Rouse is somewhat hoping that the reopened ex-Star will fail.

Originally Posted by Danny

What MJR needs to do is built a bowling alley next to their new movie theater complex. That will compete against Emagine Royal Oak's Star Lanes.

But what if Emagine decides to open a Star Lanes at their Woodhaven location next year?

And remember, Southland itself once had a movie theater-that one was where Forever 21 currently is.

**ferndalien** · July-03-14, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

That section of the mall is dead and a movie theatre will provide a good anchor for the future.

Funny, that end of the mall [[before Mervyn's was built) had a theatre once upon a time. That didn't work so well as an anchor, so it became a Border's instead...

**mtburb** · July-03-14, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by ferndalien

Funny, that end of the mall [[before Mervyn's was built) had a theatre once upon a time. That didn't work so well as an anchor, so it became a Border's instead...

Actually, that opened the same year as the mall itself and closed about exactly 15-and-a-half years ago.