Plans are in review for the proposed 10-screen Carmike Cinemas in Yulee at Florida A1A and Amelia Concourse. It will be the second Carmike theater in Nassau County.
Referred to as the "Amelia Station Theatre at Lofton Square Shopping Center," plans filed with the St. Johns River Water Management District show development of a vacant 11.71-acre parcel into a 35,200-square-foot 10-screen theater with parking.
Site development plans show the project at 95774 Amelia Concourse on a site at southeast Florida A1A/Florida 200 and Amelia Concourse.
The property owner is listed as 30 West Pershing LLC of Kansas City, Mo., and the consultant is Creech Engineering Inc. of Melbourne.
Carmike Cinemas, based in Columbus, Ga., also operates the Amelia Island 7 in Fernandina Beach.
Carmike's other area theater is the Carmike 12 in Fleming Island in Clay County.
The Florida Times-Union reported June 11 that the Nassau County Commission approved a preliminary site plan for the theater and that Peter King, the County's planning director, expected ground to be broken within 60 days.
Carmike Cinemas Inc. says on its carmike.com site that it is a U.S. leader in digital cinema and 3-D cinema and, as of March 31, had 244 theaters and 2,464 screens in 35 states.
It says its development focus is on small to mid-sized communities.
Potential patrons of the new Yulee theater might be interested in one of Carmike's latest openings.
In a news release June 18, Carmike Cinemas announced it would unveil an entertainment complex June 27 in the Apple Blossom Mall in Winchester, Va.
Carmike Cinemas President and CEO David Passman said in the release the company was on its way "to 300 theatres and 3,000 screens through selective acquisitions and the addition of multiple new-build theatres in promising locations like Winchester, across 'Hometown America.'"
The Winchester complex is equipped with auditoriums featuring stadium-style seating and wall-to-wall screens, as well as DLP digital projection and sound.
The release describes an upscale lobby and multiple concession areas featuring Coca-Cola Freestyle drink centers with more than 120 flavor choices.
It says one-stop ticketing and concession stations are a design feature, allowing customers to buy tickets and concessions in one stop inside.
The 12-screen Winchester theater seats more than 2,300 people and features Carmike's "BIGD" auditorium format.
The "BIGD" auditorium includes a wall-to-wall screen measuring 60 feet wide and nearly three stories tall, the latest in surround sound and digital projection of both 2-D and 3-D features.
The release said Carmike has plans to open more entertainment complexes featuring "BIGD" auditoriums in 2013.
Complexes under construction include those in Champaign, Ill., Hickory, N.C., and Colorado Springs, Colo.
It said Carmike also has plans underway for entertainment complexes in Yulee and in Alabama, Kentucky and Wisconsin.
"Whether it is a movie, concert, sporting event, motivational speaker or church service, Carmike guests will find 'BIGD' placing them at the heart of the event," said Carmike Director of Marketing Terrell Mayton in the release.
According to the website, Carmike has expanded to almost 20 "BIGD" auditoriums and has 11 new build-to-suit theaters in the pipeline.
Corys' sign on the way up
The City OK'd the wall sign for Corys at 1351 Tradeport Drive in the Jacksonville International Tradeport.
Brown Enterprises is the contractor for the $1,453 project.
In May, the City approved renovations for Corys Thunder Inc., which makes training simulators for nuclear power plants, at the address. It will be the new North Jacksonville headquarters for the company, which is relocating from St. Marys, Ga. City Council approved incentives for the project.
The Angelo Group is the contractor for the $466,000 project to renovate 24,890 square feet of space for the company. The property ownership is 1351 Tradeport Center LLC. Dasher Hurst Architecture is the designer of the project.
The project includes 16,040 square feet of office space and 8,272 square feet of storage. Plans show staff offices; engineering; transportation; a power office; a kitchen; a gym area; conference room and guest office. A simulator room is shown as well.
Corys Thunder requested $297,500 in City and state incentives to relocate and expand its operations to North Jacksonville. The deal is expected to create 35 jobs at an average salary of $107,133. Of the jobs, 31 will relocate from St. Marys and four will be new.
Jacksonville International Tradeport is part of the Jacksonville International Airport Community Redevelopment Area.
In the incentives request, Corys Thunder proposed to invest $450,000, comprising $400,000 in leasehold improvements and $50,000 in machinery and equipment.
The company requested incentives under the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program, including a High Impact Sector Bonus, of $245,000. The City's portion is a maximum of $49,000, or 20 percent, with the state paying the remaining $196,000, or 80 percent.
The additional $52,500 comes from the state as part of a Quick Response Training grant, according to the City's project summary.
The company is a subsidiary of Corys T.E.S.S. in Grenoble, France, which is the largest simulator company in Europe, according to its corysthunder.com website.
According to documents, Corys Thunder was founded in 2008 to provide engineering services and products to the simulation industry and its technology is the most widely used nuclear power plant training simulators in the U.S. and Europe.
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