College Station finds its theater anchor

Developer Scott Tillman, president of Tillman Redevelopment LLC, and architect Tim Rosenbury of Butler, Rosenbury & Partners announced Aug. 26 that Wallace Theater Holdings Inc. has signed a contract to open the 54,000-square-foot theater.

Construction will begin within two months on the complex, which will be located at the corner of College Street and Campbell Avenue and will have stadium-style seating and digital surround sound. Automated and online ticketing also will be available.

The theater, Hollywood Stadium 14 Cinemas, will be a part of College Station, a $17 million project that will include up to 42,000 square feet of retail or restaurant space and a 450-space parking deck south of the theater.

The city also has plans for an additional 540-space parking garage across from the theater next to the Heer’s building. The 1,000 new spots, plus existing on-street parking, should be enough to accommodate theater-goers, said City Manager Tom Finnie.

Downtown has been an ideal location for a multiplex for some time, Rosenbury said, which became obvious when several theater companies fought to claim a piece of the College Station project.

“There isn’t a single first-run movie screen north of Battlefield Road, and the national benchmarks indicate we are underscreened,” Finnie said. “The need is very real.”