Published Monday, August 11, 2008

Newnan Village planning theater complex

The Newnan Times-Herald

The first construction at Newnan Village Crossing will soon be under way, according to the developers, in the form of a six-screen movie theater and 500-seat open-air music amphitheater.

The entertainment facility package is being developed by James T. Duffy -- an Atlanta-based entrepreneur with decades of experience in the movie theater business -- in cooperation with Newnan Village Crossing developers Diplomat Companies and Kennedy Capital Group, LLC.

Mike Patel, president of Diplomat Companies, said that Newnan is "on track for long-term growth and prosperity," and that he's excited to become a part of that with the construction of this new facility.

Duffy has partnered with developers all over the country to construct a number of "Cinema Grilles," which are usually smaller venues featuring arthouse films and second-run films, many times in buildings that formerly had been mainstream cinemas but were subsequently abandoned with the era of 20-screen megaplexes. A more expanded and eclectic menu than most movie houses offer, mixed in with occasional live entertainment, differentiate Duffy's developments from the larger venues. Duffy's companies have included American Screen Works, Inc., Restaurant Entertainment Group, and American Theatre Corporation.

Duffy's latest ventures have partnered with dva architecture of Atlanta to design facilities such as Screenworks 12 at South DeKalb Mall, which was developed from the shell of a vacant 20,000-square-foot building into a modern eight-screen stadium seating theater.

A writer for Atlanta Magazine described Screenworks 12 as a "boutique movie theater," with a "broad menu" at the concession stand, with every seat in the screening room separated by a "small table for foodstuffs."

Online reviews of Screenworks 12 on www.yelp.com say the concept brings "less seats, more options for food, and comfortable seats," all in a "unique space" that's "without the stress of a packed cineplex."

Duffy said he aims to construct "a unique movie and dining experience," combining "all in one."

"Not everyone is sold on the megaplex concept," he said.

Patel said he is excited to see the first construction go up on what he touts as a $150 million, multi-use development on 125 acres along Newnan Crossing Boulevard, immediately east of I-85.

Clearing and grading of the project's first 50 acres began in May, and a road was constructed through the development. On the newest plans that road appears as Diplomat Parkway.

Construction will begin by the end of this year, the developers say.

Patel said that Newnan Village Crossing is being created as a "lifestyle development," a master-planned community of buildings that will be carefully designed to work together, while "blending into their natural setting."

"Newnan Village Crossing is a project that's here and now -- and continues the momentum of Coweta County," said Patel.

Plans for Newnan Village Crossing, still subject to approval by the City of Newnan, call for about 1 million square feet of new construction, including three hotels, restaurants, a medical office, an assisted living facility, and retail stores, "all set in a pedestrian-friendly environment of green space and walking paths," according to the company's press release.

The new "entertainment complex" will be financed by High Trust Bank in Stockbridge, the press release states, and will feature:

* Six 50-foot screens, seating for 250 people, and digital surround sound.

* An open-air music amphitheatre that will seat 500 and feature tables for dining and a 45-foot screen.

* An "intimate indoor music venue" and wine bar that will seat 100 people and accommodate performances by local artists.

Diplomat Companies and Kennedy Capital Group both have considerable real estate development experience throughout the metro Atlanta area. Kennedy Capital Group is working on a proposed 250-room luxury hotel which will be adjacent to Music Row in Nashville, TN and a 220-unit, upscale apartment complex on 19 acres in Gulfport, MS.

Diplomat Companies has developed high-profile commercial buildings such as 218 Peachtree and the Carnegie Building in downtown Atlanta, and office buildings such as Horizon Center on Sugarloaf Parkway.