Carmike Cinemas breaks ground at Grand Boulevard
Jun 28, 2012 (Menafn - The Walton Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Even though winds from Tropical Storm Debby churned outside, she couldn't stop the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Carmike Cinemas on Monday at Grand Boulevard.
Undeterred, officials simply moved the ceremony indoors at Mitchell's Fish Market and enthusiastically gave their spiel about South Walton's first movie theater, which they hope will be open in time for the next round of spring breakers.
The cinema will be a state-of-the-art Montecito 10, located inside an entertainment complex to be built on a parcel of land adjacent to Grand Boulevard at the entrance to Sandestin.
The 10 million 40,000-square-foot Montecito 10 will have a total of 1,800 seats in its state-of-the-art "BIG D" auditorium and a VIP dining Ovation Club; both are signature theater amenities. This one will be only one of 14 in the country.
Construction crews are currently grading the site and the foundation and are working on underground utilities. The theater will feature two special auditoriums among its 10 screens.
A first in Florida and expected to be a huge draw for area moviegoers will be the "BIG D" Ultimate Entertainment Experience, which features a wall-to-wall screen measuring more than 60-feet wide and three-stories tall, boosted by the latest in 7.1 SurroundSound and digital projection for both 2D and 3D features.
Images will be projected onto a colossal wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screen. The result is a light output of 30,000 lumens, creating a picture quality with higher resolution than HD.
Theater-goers will enjoy this cinematic experience from the comfort of plush leather high-back rocking seats in a stadium seating configuration.
The Ovation Club will feature swing around tables and premium beverages to include beer and wine. The club is "adults only" and no teens or children will be admitted. It is a room where adults will be waited on instead of having to stand in line to place an order at a counter, said David Passman, president and CEO of Carmike Cinemas.
Passman painted a vivid verbal picture of how it will feel to be in the theater and be immersed into the action on the screen. The club will be a place where foods such as shrimp and club sandwiches will be served, he said, while patrons enjoy the screen experience in reclining chairs.
"This is done in very few areas," said Passman. "There's nothing else close by that touches it."
The closest, he said is the Majestic 12 in Chattanooga.
Walton County's new Chamber of Commerce President Kellie Jo Kilberg told those gathered on Monday for the ceremony that theaters are the heart of the community, and this particular one will have the unique capability to offer dinner and a movie, or space for sporting events, large meetings, and other events. She also said the Chamber looks forward to being community partners with Carmike Cinemas.
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