Fleming Island Movie Theater & Bowling Alley

[blizz01]

Has anyone heard anything on this?  I've heard these items were in the works for like 3 years through a developer named John O'Conner.....

[copperfiend]

I remember hearing about an issue with how large the theater would be. Try Google.

[thelakelander]

An article over a year ago, stated that O'Conner was negoitating with theater chains for a complex that could not have anymore than 10 screens.  I can't remember the last time I've seen a theater with only 10 screens built in the suburbs?  Most likely, he probably hasn't been able to secure a deal yet, which is why there's been no update for over a year.

[Jason]

Sounds like a similar deal for St. Augustine.  There is a proposal out there for a 16 screen theatre, condos, retail, and restaraunt space.  About 6 months ago crews were working like mad to clear the land and trucked in thousands of loads of dirt only to suddenly disappear.  The site has been a dustbowl ever since and no sign of activity has been spotted.

[blizz01]

Fleming Island movie theater to be open by November


By DEBRA W. BUEHN, My Clay Sun

At long last, the curtain is about to go up on the Fleming Island movie theater project.

O'Connor Development Corp. signed a lease with Carmike Cinemas on Tuesday for a theater complex to be built on the island, said John O'Connor, president of O'Connor Development.

"We're so excited to have signed the lease, and we're raring to go," O'Connor said Wednesday.

His words were echoed by Jim Zehr, Carmike's real estate director.

"We're really excited about this, and that's not an overstatement," he said. "It's a great market - it's just the perfect community."

The 42,000-square-foot theater complex will be built on property that sits at the southwest corner of the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and East West Parkway, behind the Mellow Mushroom restaurant. The complex will have 12 screens, 2,000 seats and upwards of 500 parking spaces, O'Connor said.

Construction is expected to begin in March with a November opening anticipated, he added. The design of the complex, which is currently before the Eagle Harbor Architectural Review Committee, will be similar to the surrounding commercial properties of O'Connor Development, with the structure to be a block stucco building.

A construction company for the project has not yet been chosen, O'Connor said.

Carmike Cinemas, which is based in Columbus, Ga., boasts some 283 theaters in 37 states, Zehr said, and takes pride in its high-tech capabilities. It is the first major theater company to have a fully digital projection system, which eliminates the "pops and cracks" sometimes heard in a movie, and is on the leading edge of companies showing 3-D movies, he added.

The theaters at Fleming Island will reap the benefits of that technology, and will be equipped with the digital projection system, the 3-D capability and will sport full stadium seating, Zehr said.

Rob Bradley, the Clay County commissioner who represents the Fleming Island area, said the theaters would be a welcome addition to the community.

"There's been a high demand for a movie theater on Fleming Island for a long time," he said, adding that the complex will be good for both residents and local businesses as well, since residents who stay in the area to see a movie will also likely stay in the area to go out to eat or shop.

The announcement of the coming movie complex brings to a close a lengthy saga for O'Connor, who had to battle for years to have the number of screens allowed by the county's original development order increased to 12 - the smallest number considered viable for a successful venture by national movie chains. Opponents of the project said they were concerned about the potential impact of traffic and crime, but public support of the idea continued to grow over the years, and approval for the larger complex was finally given.

O'Connor said he will make sure the project is a first-class one.

"I want to assure the county and the community that I will do everything possible to make this a safe and secure environment," he said.

[Jason]

..... just imagine what a commuter rail line could do for the development of that community.


Great news for Flemming.. I wish the St. Aug theatres would get going.  I get to drive by a huge dirt lot everyday and dream of what could be.

[copperfiend]

..... just imagine what a commuter rail line could do for the development of that community.

I can imagine. I also think most of this board can imagine. Unfortunately, alot of small thinkers in this community cannot.

[jandar]

Great news, now I don't have to drive up Blanding to the mall to watch a movie. I can zip down CR220.

[jandar]

For anyone who does not know (mostly everyone) Carmike Cinemas is open.

All DLP projection. After watching UP! and Aliens vs. Monsters in 3D there, and Star Trek and Wolverine, it's hard to go back to film. I watched Terminator Salvation @ AMC Orange Park Mall, and man, the difference is night and day compared to film.

The crowds are thinner, no young "punks" blabbing during the movie, etc.
Prices are nice, and there is no Mall Traffic to deal with.

If you are out in Clay County and want to go watch a movie, I recommend the new theater.

[Jason]

Thanks for the update jandar.  St. Augustine's new Epic Theatres is digital as well.  Terminator looked fantastic and the sound was incredible!

[JeffreyS]

It is a nice theater. Good spot for dinner and a movie with Mellow Mushroom, Hurricanes and Mojo BBQ in the parking lot.

[jandar]

Mellow Mushroom has a dinner and a movie package at both the Fleming Island and Tinseltown locations as well.

[JeffreyS]

Thanks Jandar I will take advantage of that.

[blizz01]

Every Tuesday is "Relief Day" (or something like that) - $1 Cokes & Popcorn all day and night.