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16-screen movie theater next to take stage in Village West

By Joshua Roberts - | Feb 4, 2004

A $14 million movie theater is set to become the next major attraction inside the Village West entertainment and tourism district in Kansas City, Kan.

The Unified Government Board of Commissioners recently approved a deal pairing Unified Government with Phoenix Theaters LLC, to build and operate a movie theater complex inside Legends Shopping Center at Village West.

Village West is in western Wyandotte County at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 435 and is the state’s top tourist destination. It is home to Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela’s — and adjacent to the Kansas Speedway.

When completed, the 65,000-square-foot complex will boast 16 screens and seat about 3,000 people. It is scheduled for screenings no later than May 2005, county officials report.

County officials said plans for a movie theater always were a part of designs for Village West and were a selling point in landing tourist attractions such as Cabela’s. The theater will be constructed on land that is owned by Cabela’s but will be leased back to Unified Government.

STAR bonds owned by Cabela’s will be used to pay for construction of the theater, and the bonds will be paid off with sales tax generated by Cabela’s, county officials said.

Warren Theatres, a Wichita-based movie theater chain, was slated to build a complex inside Village West. However, the deal fell through — opening the door for Phoenix Theatres LLC.