Theater plans may encounter big roadblock

Regal Entertainment Group’s plans to expand and upgrade its four-screen movie theater at Seminole Square may hit a major snag.

The theater sits directly in the path of a $30.5 million road construction project that would extend Hillsdale Drive.

“The current draft plans do have Hillsdale coming through the existing building, and we have discussed in previous occasions our plans for the road with the company,” city spokesman Ric Barrick wrote in an e-mail Monday.

Yet despite the city’s Hillsdale Drive extension project, Regal is moving forward with its plans to add five new screens, stadium seating, a renovated lobby and digital projection to the 26-year-old movie theater.

“We’re moving forward expeditiously,” said Russ Nunley, Regal’s vice president for marketing and communications. “Regal’s aware of a proposed road on or near our property. But we are unaware of where that project stands with respect to its financing, location or timeline.”

Barrick said the city does not anticipate getting any Hillsdale Drive construction money soon. The Virginia Department of Transpor-tation’s Six-Year Improve-ment Program shows that most of the connector road’s funding is nowhere in sight — about $3.1 million has been spent so far on its preliminary engineering, but the other $27.4 million for right-of-way and construction costs will not come until at least fiscal 2015.

Barrick said acquiring the land where the theater is located would be necessary before moving forward. The city has already been negotiating to obtain private property for the first part of the road, which will be constructed next to the planned Whole Foods grocery store on Hydraulic Road.

Planning Commissioner Mike Farruggio said Monday that getting the theater’s land once the building has expanded might prove to be more difficult.

“I certainly think, in light of this news, that it’s going to complicate matters,” he said. My fear is that it’s going to make [Hillsdale Drive Extended] more expensive.”

Nunley said Regal is willing to listen to “alternative proposals” from Charlottes-ville officials regarding the Hillsdale project. Some sort of compromise, he said, is likely.

“Both [Regal and Char-lottesville] are seeking the same goal, which is making improvements to the community,” Nunley said.

The project could still prove a boon for the upgraded movie theater, which will eventually be dubbed the Regal Seminole Trail Stadium 9.

“Having a new road with improved access certainly wouldn’t hurt us,” Nunley said.

David L. Slutzky, chairman of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization, said he was surprised to hear that Regal was expanding its movie theater in the way of the long-planned Hillsdale extension.

“It seems a bit bizarre,” he said. “I’m excited that they have plans to expand the theater. But, my word, it’s a bit surprising.”

Slutzky is skeptical that an alternative route for the Hillsdale extension could be found.

“There’s just not a lot of wiggle room,” he said.

Ideally, he added, the community would find a way to have both the upgraded movie theater, as well as the completed road project. “Both would be good,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we will have that road.”

Regal intends to apply for design approval and building permits this month. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company expects to start construction as soon as it obtains permission from the city.

The theater will close for an as-yet-to-be-determined duration while the facility is under construction.

“Due to the extent of renovations and expansion, the cinema will have to close at some point during construction,” Nunley said. “Once again, once plans are approved and permits issued, we will have a more clear view of the construction timeline.”

The theater’s closure, he added, would ideally come during an off-peak season. It is not likely, he said, that the theater would close during the top ticket-selling seasons of summer or the holidays.