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One of the best shows in Swatara Twp. is at the Great Escape Theatres complex -- and it hasn't even opened yet.
The daily drama at the 14-screen complex being built on the Route 441 end of Harrisburg Mall, between Boscov's and Macy's, includes a cast of more than 100 workers. The roofers, carpenters, laborers, plumbers, electricians, welders, painters and others work from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
"A theater like this hasn't been built since the golden years of theaters many years ago," said Mark Nobile, manager of Harrisburg Mall. "I believe that moviegoers will be blown away by what they see when they visit this theater. This is going to be a magnificent addition to the community."
The 60,000-square-foot multiplex theater, scheduled to open on Nov. 17, will be able to accommodate 2,500 moviegoers. The theaters will have stadium seating and rocking-chair high-back love seats with armrests. It also will have high ceilings, plush drapes, wall-to-wall screens and digital projection systems with surround sound.
Chet Muhinsky, construction manager for Alexander Building Construction LLC of Harrisburg and the on-site manager, said the $18.5 million project is on schedule.
Outside the building, the flat roof has been installed and the exterior insulated facing system, which resembles tan stucco, is in place. The theater, built atop 80 concrete and steel piers, has hundreds of parking spaces underneath.
Inside the complex, workers are completing the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning duct work and installing lighting, electrical lines, plumbing and interior infrastructure in the theaters and halls.
"People will enter through the food court," Muhinsky said, pointing to the grand entrance that includes a traditional ticket booth and an automatic ticket booth where patrons can purchase tickets from a machine resembling an ATM. "The concessions area is over here."
The complex has wide hallways with theater entrances on both sides. One theater has 500 seats, four have 90 to 110 seats and 10 have 150 to 300 seats. All theaters and rest rooms are accessible to people with disabilities.
"These are 20-inch-thick walls, so people won't hear the sounds from the next theater," Nobile said. "Walls will be red or blue with pleated curtains. Our initial plans and renderings simply cannot adequately portray the shear size and grandeur of the building."
A new Swatara Twp. police substation has been built just outside the theater entrance.
The theaters will be managed by Aliance Entertainment of New Albany, Ind., which operates more than 237 screens in 10 states.
"Harrisburg is a fantastic market for us," said Steve Menschell, vice president of operations for Aliance Entertainment. "People will love this theater with its upscale finishes, digital projection system second to none and tremendous acoustics."
Larry Feldman is chairman and CEO of Feldman Mall Properties Inc., which owns Harrisburg Mall. He called the theater complex more than just a place to see a movie. "It will be part of our entertainment zone at the mall," he said.
Great Escape Theatres is part of a second phase of renovations at the mall, Nobile said. Still to come is the lifestyle component, featuring shops and restaurants in front of the mall, he said.
"For years, the Harrisburg Mall has struggled to define its identity," Nobile said. "Once the theater opens and all the new restaurants and lifestyle and apparel tenants are in place, Harrisburg Mall will define itself as THE place for shopping, dining and entertaining. It just doesn't get any better than that."
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