IMAX theater coming to Blacksburg’s First & Main shopping center
Roanoke Times file photo
Update: Click here to read the full story published Thursday.
Reporter Jeff Sturgeon has a story online today about plans to expand the First & Main shopping center in Blacksburg to include an IMAX theater.
Sturgeon reports that the expansion will be called CineBowl & Grille and will include an arcade, bowling alley, bar and restaurant.
The announcement is good news for the shopping center, which in the several past years has lost several tenants, including its largest, Books-A-Million.
To read Sturgeon’s story click here.
January 23, 2013 - 12:47 PM
IMAX? Ouch. I went to one of those … once. Horribly expensive and SO not worth it. Hopefully the bowling alley and restaurant will be okay, but things just don’t seem to last in that complex. The layout is horrible, as is parking. What happened to the Sonic that was supposed to locate in front of the complex? What happened to the “big box” that was supposed to open near there and draw the crowds? Oh … yeah … that’s right …
way to go Roanoke. Can we hire Blackburg and Christiansburg’s city manager? I think Chris and I need to be appointed to get Roanoke what it needs. Ha
If it’s like the brand new “IMAX” theater in Charlottesville, I wouldn’t get too excited. I saw The Hobbit there over the holidays, and after waiting so many years for the IMAX movie “experience” to come to our area, I was sorely disappointed by what I found.
First of all, if it didn’t say “IMAX” in big letters out front, I literally wouldn’t be able to tell you which was the IMAX auditorium vs. the regular ones in the same complex. The screen size and theater layout is the same as in every other auditorium; certainly a far cry from the original IMAX theaters.
Even with a movie running, it’s hard to tell a difference. The new “IMAX” format is digital, and appears to be about the same resolution as other digital theaters. I suppose the 3D effect *might* have been a bit better, but it’s hard to say without watching the same film in both technologies –which you’d have to pay me to do at this point, since I refuse to pay $17/ticket for their version of IMAX again.
Was Roanoke even ever in the running? Did we compete for this and lose?
Many of us have no idea what the difference is between an IMAX and a general digital theater showing. I looked this up..I thought an IMAX had a dome shape screen. 17$ is too much for an IMAX..
IMAX (an abbreviation for Image Maximum) is a motion picture film format and a set of cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems. Since 2002, some feature films have been converted (or upgraded) into IMAX format for display in IMAX theatres and some have also been partially shot in IMAX.
IMAX is the most widely used system for special-venue film presentations. As of September 2012, there are 697 IMAX theatres in 52 countries
@Kristen: Good question. I will pass your question along to the reporter working on the story.
I believe there was talk years ago about an IMAX and I think possibly skating rink downtown. That was never going to happen obviously. It was too forward thinking.
The only IMAX I have been to is at Broadway at the Beach (Myrtle Beach) that has since closed. I saw two presentations (they were short features, not actual movies) and loved them both. If the IMAX just showed regular movies I wouldn’t go.
A movie theater with bowling and entertainment is exciting for Blacksburg. It will appeal to the college crowd and families in this area and bring more business to 1st and Main. Now, if we can only a good grocery store like Fresh Market, I won’t be a need to venture into Roanoke as often as I do now.
Why did no one interview the owners of the 14-screen theater and the bowling alley that are perhaps 5 miles away from this planned 12-screen theater/bowling alley? How is the NRV going to support 26 movie screens and another bowling alley within a 5-mile radius?
@Kristen: Here is reporter Jeff Sturgeon’s reply.
No, Roanoke wasn’t in the running for what Blacksburg is getting.
This is project will complete an element of the original First & Main plan.
There was supposed to be an IMAX theater in that godawful thing they call and art museum downtown. The director, you know that revolving door overpaid position, decided it was not worth the fees. At the time, it would have been the only IMAX theater between Richmond and Charlotte. Gee maybe it would have actually exposed some folks to the museum. Maybe it would have even helped out economically instead of those people wandering around looking for handouts. Maybe it would have drawn some out-of-towners into our downtown to drop some cash, but woe is us. Our city planners are all about appearance rather than substance. BTW the experience is awesome with movies designed for the format. Hobbit was not. The whole room vibrates with sound, the picture is like watching high end HD 3-d. It really is an “experience”. It’s not worth it for every movie, but it can be a real kick.
The bowling alley/cinema sounds like a great plan for that Center. For IMAX I can never understand what the big deal is. Isn’t that technology becoming
obsolete anyway? I think cinemas are in trouble now competing with Pay For View. Good Luck to those involved in this project!
I would like to know why most of you that comment here complain constantly about what Roanoke doesn’t have. If you don’t like things the way they are you have two options: Voice your concerns to the City Manager or move. This is Roanoke….NOT New York City! Just saying. We should be happy with what we DO have!
@JJ: I think another movie theater will be fine and won’t eat up business from the other movie theater in Christiansburg. NRV is a growing population. It will have an IMAX theater which will attract a certain population who would like to see certain movies in IMAX (The Hobbit). Plus, there are two major universities (Virginia Tech and Radford) and surrounding communities that will frequent the movies. Also, there are not enough independent foreign films show in this area. I always have to venture to Grandin to see an artsy movie and it is not a guarantee that the Grandin will show it. So, there are plenty of opportunities for a movie theater in Blacksburg.
IMAX screens are a big deal to this area. The nearest IMAX experience is hours away. To be clear, more and more big action movies are including exclusive scenes that for IMAX theaters. This doesnt simply mean “i pay a few dollars more for a clearer image”. It literally means that there is content (sometimes entire scenes) that you can only see on an IMAX screen. Also, those scenes filmed with IMAX cameras also include a larger screen image for more immersion. Also, IMAX has higher quality sound than standard theaters.
Maybe I’m just a movie snob, but I’m really excited about the possibilities of an IMAX theater in our area. Any word on when it could be up and running?
so since this will probably be a huge building will it have to go through the big box approval process?
I’m glad to see development in the area! I do hope it works out. The economy seems slow and rough at this time, but let’s move forward and may all the business be productive.
I completely agree that something like this was made for Downtown Roanoke. In place of the Taubman we could have had an awesome IMAX theater showing documentaries that were made for IMAX along with huge blockbuster movies like The Dark Knight Rises that have scenes that were shot in IMAX. IMAX is most certainly not on it’s way out. It’s being used all the time. Like someone said previously….this would have been a great addition to Roanoke and brought people here specifically for this and in turn they would have patronized our local businesses downtown as well. Oh well, maybe one day….
Blacksburg is so anti-development, I don’t see this happening at all.
I hope this will be a help for them, but the stores that have left hurt this center; especially Books-A-Million and Maggie Moo’s. I personally wouldn’t go to the IMAX as much as Cburg’s theatre. IMAX are well known for being too expensive. When they were talking about Sam’s coming I was much more excited. I will also hope they do something drastically different with the parking. Parking in that back lot is awful and also not safe due to the darkness.
@Scott Brooks: I totally agree about the Taubman.
As for IMAX being on its way out, it really depends on what you mean. The original IMAX film format is indeed on the way out, killed by the economics of digital distribution. The “IMAX” that’s being marketed now is just another digital projection system; from what I’ve read, it’s not even projected in a higher resolution than other digital systems.
The shame of it all is that the Taubman was probably our last chance to have a *real* IMAX theater in our region. Going forward, the industry seems committed to building digital “faux-MAX” theaters, and charging a premium for little more than the name.
daryl, the footprint is 60,000 SF, so presumably, yes. But, the good thing is that from the full article this morning, Mayor Rordham, the Town Manager, and others within the town seem exicted and enthusiastic about the project, saying it fits. That is about as close to a 180 from the uproar over earlier potential projects at the site that required Town approval…so hopefully that means this one can get approved and see the light of day.
My only thought is how badly Blacksburg town officials can screw this up.
HOKIE2013- ITS HAPPENING ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
Also…a clarification from the full article…of the 12 screens, 10 would be conventional, regular screens…only 1 would be IMAX. So, it would be largely similar to other theaters except it would also offer IMAX for some showings, but not everything would be IMAX…which is good.
It also said that the full list of beerverages would be available for the movies…which is pretty awesome. Also sounded like some of the screens might be used for showing various sporting events, which I could totally get into…
The type of IMAX screen the Blacksburg center will have could be “up to 100 feet wide,” Frank said. The CineBowl’s second mega-screen will measure 80 feet wide by 55 feet high under Frank Theatres’ own large-screen format, Frank said. In 2000, Roanoke considered the possibility of having an IMAX theater — with its large, sharp images and big-sound experience — in the Taubman Museum of Art. That element was dropped from planning by 2005.
CineBowl movie tickets will be priced comparably to movie tickets already available in the New River Valley, according to Frank.
This is just to appease the spoiled college kids who come here from larger cities where IMAX is common. As for the “beerverages”… that’s all we need. As if theater patrons aren’t rude and noisy enough, now they’re gonna be drunk? Greeeat.
I was at Broadway at the Beach in January and noticed the IMAX was not operating but . . the regular theater here is showing movies in some type of super high def format in the old IMAX building. Dark Knight Rises was one of the movies showing in both theaters.
IMAX in Chattanooga TN years ago when I went to see Elton John. My kids loved it! That screen was multi stories high and curved all around us – with the surround sound and effects it was pretty amazing.
Sad to find out this type of entertainment option might soon be obsolete . . . it was pricey though.
And the boo-birds come out on the blog…. again….
And here is a news flash for most Roanoker’s…Blacksburg is 40 minutes away. Take a road trip once In a while!! Hokie town has a lot to offer. Just sayin’!!