IMAX planned for Wonders of Wildlife

Wonders of Wildlife officials can check one item off their wish list.

The wildlife museum campus at Campbell Avenue and Sunshine Street adjacent to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World has been selected by IMAX theater developer Bella Films for construction of a $7 million, six-story IMAX theater. The theaters opening is planned for July 2004.

Members of the museum board have sought an IMAX theater for four years, since museum plans were formulated. After dismal attendance in nearly two years of operation the museum is on pace to fall about 70 percent short of original attendance projections museum officials hope the theater stimulates ticket sales.

We are excited about it, said John Moore, museum board chairperson. I think it will be a great asset to Springfield. I think it will assist in bringing more people to visit our attractions in Springfield, particularly the museum.

IMAX Corporation and Bella Films, the United States division of Bella Media PLC, have partnered to construct and operate the theater. The companies announced their intent Sept. 18.

But Moore believes the announcement is premature.

The board has not approved the plans and details are not yet finalized. Moore said the next board meeting is not scheduled, but he is confident the theater will get approval then. We are planning to do that, Moore said.

Connecting corridors

Among the tentative plans is the specific site of the IMAX theater. After moving the IMAX site a number of times, officials involved have selected the land immediately east of the former Kmart. However, Wonders of Wildlife Interim Director Max Peterson warns that the site is still tentative.

All of these things are subject to change. Thats the way it looks now, he said.

Attracting more people to the museum will be aided with an enclosed corridor connecting the theater to Wonders of Wildlife. Plans also call for a corridor adjoining the IMAX and Bass Pro.

Preliminary designs show an elevated walkway connecting to the museum to allow vehicle access below, Peterson said.

He said the connection is a must if the museum stands to benefit from the IMAX attraction as the New England Aquarium did following a December 2001 IMAX theater opening on its Boston campus.

According to published reports in the Boston Business Journal, the aquarium had a record attendance year in 2002 with 1.55 million visitors, which was attributed to the opening of the IMAX. Attendance this year is down 10 percent from 2003 projections and 14 percent from the 2002 high, reports showed.

Meanwhile, attendance at Wonders of Wildlife is down 39 percent from 2002, its first full year of operation that drew about 406,000.

Bella Films CEO Fred Weinert hopes the IMAX will provide a much-needed boost, not just to the museum, but also to Springfields tourism industry. He expects the theater to draw more than 450,000 people each year.

Its very hard to say how much that will increase (attendance) at the museum, Weinert said. The goal is to make this part of the tourism in Springfield.

Peterson recognizes that the corridor connection doesnt guarantee increased visitation.

Springfield tends to be a place people go through, instead of to, Peterson said. The real question is, will the IMAX theater cause people to spend an extra day here? If it does, I think it could substantially increase the visitation.

A combination ticket for access to the theater and museum will be sold. Prices are not yet set.

Weinert agreed that the key is connecting the facilities.It makes most sense if its connected, so you give an environment to the customers that is seamless, Weinert said.

Choosing Springfield

Springfields 18,000-square-foot, 355-seat IMAX theater is Bella Films first. The company considered locations in California, Latin America and Europe, before selecting Springfield.

The tourist draw to Bass Pro and Wonders of Wildlife, coupled with the regional population, secured the Springfield site, Weinert said.

This is driven a lot by captured population, he said. From a business perspective, you have to be able to see that there is about 3 million people coming to this area. What works perfectly here is that you have the museum, which is the educational element, and you have the retail consumer. Then you have the general populace. We can definitely count on Springfield metro to become a good customer. Then we have the schools, which is part of that populace, (which) will take field trips. When we looked at other sites one of those things was missing.

Weinert said a draw of 3 million people was the benchmark he was seeking.

You have a crossover that youll never be able to distinguish exactly, but you know from a gross standpoint that youre seeing more than 3 million passing through that campus, Weinert said from his Chicago office. The debate is how many of those are first time visitors, part of the local population (or) part of the travel through.

Regardless, he believes the theater is a good match for the museum because both attractions educate and entertain.

They will work very well together, Weinert said. The entertainment side of the IMAX is another incentive for somebody to visit the museum.

Educational films will run during the day, with full-length feature films showing in the evenings, according to IMAX spokesperson Jennifer Gery. Day prices will be around $7.50 and evening shows will be slightly higher, Weinert said.

Designing the exterior of the theater to match that of Wonders of Wildlife and Bass Pro is the job of Springfield architectural and engineering firm Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. A general contractor has not been named.

The theme of the IMAX will be within the mission of the museum. Its going to have a feel of the wilderness and the outdoors, Weinert said. It will be more rustic than modern. It will be a uniquely designed IMAX. It will comfortably fit in with the environment, and I think it will be a nice improvement.

Weinert said it will take about 25 employees to run the theater. A general manager and sales and marketing manager will be hired locally, while a chief projectionist with IMAX experience will be brought in.

The theater has not been officially named; Weinert said they are considering selling a business sponsorship for naming rights.