tucson mall to see construction of new movie theater

A new movie theater with 14 big screens will soon be built at the site of the largest shopping mall in Tucson.

The Scottsdale-based Harkins Theater chain has announced plans to build a space at the Tucson Mall, located in the 4500 block of Oracle Road.

The new venue will feature the latest in movie-going technology, including 3D object-based sound transmitted by more than 150 speakers, and leather reclining seats.

The screens themselves will be curved and at least 85 feet in height.

Other amenities will include a concessions service featuring chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, and beer and wine.

The new Tucson location represents only the latest foray for a chain operating more than 30 theaters in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas.

It is not yet certain whether the new Tucson Mall theater will be built inside the complex itself or as a stand-alone structure.

The announcement marks the first time that the mall, which opened in 1982, has had a theater.

Mike Bowers, chief executive officer of Harkins Theater company, told the Arizona Daily Star that he had been thinking about building a “state-of-the-art theater” at the Tucson Mall for the last two decades.

Enjoying steady growth, Harkins last year announced it was building a new corporate headquarters in Scottsdale that would be a part of a larger $32 million campus.
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It has not yet been announced when work on the Tucson Mall project will begin. 

​By Garry Boulard

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