First-run movie theater to open

City dwellers will not have to drive out to Short Pump or Midlothian to see the new Jonas Brothers’ movie Friday, or “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” or even the new “Madea goes to jail,” film. They will not even have to leave the city limits because for the first time in nearly four decades, Richmond is set to welcome a first-run Cineplex theater.

Movieland at Boulevard Square, owned and operated by New York-based Bow-Tie Cinemas, opens for business Friday. Located at the corner of Boulevard and Leigh Street, the theater is located in a former locomotive factory. Richmond Locomotive and Machine Works called the building home from 1887 to 1927.

“We like to use historic buildings whenever we can,” General Manager Sean McIntosh said.

Patrons will find tributes to the building’s heritage sprinkled throughout the theater. Original railroad ties, discovered during construction, hang above the entrance in the lobby in addition to other sculptures. The building’s stained concrete floors and exposed brick as well as the generous amounts of stainless steel and vaulted ceilings give it an industrial feel.

The 19th-century building is home to 17 state-of-the-art screens with stadium seating and 3-D capabilities, typical of any new movie theater.

Where Movieland sets itself apart is in the details. In Bow-Tie’s effort to “bring style and elegance back to the movie-going experience,” as McIntosh put it, Movieland has done away with video arcade games so prevalent at other theaters. The sound of children screaming and playing in the arcade will be replaced with classical music filling the lobby. The concession stand serves pizza, sandwiches and coffee as well as the standard candy and popcorn.

Unlike most theaters, Movieland serves alcohol too. A separate café serves beer and wine for consumption in the lobby. Bow-Tie hopes to allow guests to drink inside theaters pending review from the Virginia Department of Alcohol Beverage Control.

Patrons will not see any advertisements besides movie previews before the feature presentation, and special attention will be paid to making sure all guests maintain proper decorum by keeping cell phones off and conversations down. Ushers will adhere to a zero-tolerance policy regarding cell phone use and other disturbances during presentations.

Jessica Fleenor, a recent VCU graduate and Fan District resident, said she is excited about the proximity to the theater. She said she usually goes “to Short Pump or (Chesterfield).”

International relations major Brien Sink said he likes being within walking distance of Movieland.

“I’m stoked about (Movieland),” Sink said. “I live one block east of it and it’s nice to not have to go all the way to the West End to see a movie.

Mass communications major Price Coleman said it would make him more likely to go see a movie.

“I never watch movies in theaters, but now that one is close it is definitely something I can see myself doing,” Coleman said.

Mass communications major Lois Seffu said she wondered about the types of business Movieland would receive.

“I’m interested to see how much business it would get at that location and what type of patrons will go,” Seffu said.

McIntosh is optimistic despite the troubled economy. He said opening a theater in Richmond was “a brilliant decision.”

“I was shocked that a city of this size did not already have a movie theater in the downtown area,” McIntosh said.

General admission tickets cost $9.75. College students can buy tickets for $8 with a student I.D.