Royal Oak theater set to begin construction in March

The light is green and plans to build a first-run movie theater in downtown Royal Oak are speeding forward. Shovels are expected to break into the ground in March for a November opening.

Emagine Entertainment plans to build a 10-screen movie theater complete with food, alcohol, and bowling options. The new complex will go on the parking lot on 11 Mile Road just east of Main Street behind the Main Art Theatre.

"Royal Oak is a wonderful market," says Ruth Daniels, vice president of sales and marketing for Emagine Entertainment. "It has a wonderful downtown area. I don't know anyone who doesn't like going to downtown Royal Oak."

The plans call for a two-story, 73,000-square-foot brick and limestone clad building that will resemble Emagine Entertainment's theaters in Novi and Canton. It will show first-run movies and is not expected to provide direct competition with an indie-and-foreign movie house like the Main Art Theatre.

The new cinema's entrance will face the back of the Main Art Theatre while the section facing 11 Mile will have windows similar to a traditional storefront but will otherwise be an inactive space. Traffic will be routed off of 11 Mile around the theater and then out onto Troy Street.

The $14 million project will house 1,680 seats and 16 lanes of bowling (with access to food and a bar) that are meant to complement the movie-going experience. There will also be a private party area/meeting room on a second-floor mezzanine area over the main entrance. The theater is expected to create 40 new full-time jobs and another 60 part-time positions.

Source: Ruth Daniels, vice president of sales and marketing for Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak theater set to begin construction in March

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