After over a decade of waiting (since 2002 actually), Tyrone Square is finally ready to re-introduce the public to the silver screen. The west-St.-Pete shopping center broke ground with Cobb Theatres and members of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, as well as St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Krisemen, Thursday, May 14, on a luxury cinema house.
Dignitaries in attendance (pictured from left to right): Doug Izzo, Government Affairs at Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce; Chris Steinocher, President & CEO of St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce; Rick Kriseman, Mayor of St. Pete; Guy Austin, Vice President of Operations for Cobb Theatres; Jeni Wilson, Mall Manager at Tyrone Square; Robin Sollie, President & CEO of Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce; Travis Johnson, Vice President of Marketing at Tradewinds Island Resorts; Ken Ramsey, Director of Operations at Tyrone Square; Erin Cece, Director of Marketing at Tyrone Square; Ed Carlson, President of Jungle Terrace Civic Association.
By luxury they mean a 10 stadium auditoria with 1,200 leather, electronically controlled recliner seats with footrests, 100 percent digital projection, 11.1 sound quality, wall-to-wall 3D screens, a D-BOX auditorium with chairs synched to the action of the movie, rear window captioning and descriptive audio for hearing and sight impaired guests, and, perhaps best of all, booze and food.
"In the lobby [there will be] a real food, real scratch kitchen with a bar and lounge attached to it," said Cobb Theatres VP of Operations, Guy Auston. "We'll have an executive chef [who will] develop the menu based on the tastes of the area […] It'll be unique."
Financially, the "Luxury 10" theatre is expected to bring a welcomed economic boost to the area, as the theatre will not only generate revenue upon its opening, but generate work during its construction and thereafter, through employment.
"New jobs are being created today," said Chris Steinocher, president of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
The theater and all its accompaniments will be located in the mall’s northwest parking area, facing Tyrone Boulevard, and is slated to finish in early 2016.
