Chris Coppola

The Republic | azcentral.com

Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has about 30 locations in eight states

Company also will operate a separate restaurant and brew pub on the site

Additional restauarants and retail would be included in first phase

A developer's proposal to bring a dine-in movie theater, brew house and numerous new restaurants to downtown Chandler may finally solidify the entertainment draw city officials have sought for years.

Downtown Chandler has, in recent years, seen a collection of restaurants and new residential development breathe life into the area. By the end of next year, vacant land at the north entry way to downtown may add a major new attraction to boost it even more.

At its meeting Dec. 11, the Chandler City Council accepted a proposal from a Vintage Partners, a development group, for a project that would be located at the southwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard, on parcels of city land commonly referred to as sites 1, 2 and 3. According to a city report, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, an Austin, Texas-based company that operates about 30 of the combination theater-dining outlets in eight states, most in Texas, has been identified as the major tenant. This would be the company's first location in Arizona.

According to its web site, Alamo is known for a strict policy of enforcing no talking or texting in theaters and prohibiting unaccompanied minors in theaters, which show mostly first-run current movies as well as special event shows. Alamo also would operate a separate, two-story restaurant and brew house on the site.

The council resolution directed city staff to begin pursuing a development agreement for the project.

"The thing I liked about it was the entertainment niche. For years we've been trying to get an entertainment element downtown,'' said Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. "The development partnership looked like folks who could actually get the project financed and built."

"The Alamo was the key point to it, having that franchise, because obviously it's a unique type of movie theater. And that's what you need in the downtown is to have these unique uses,'' he said. "That's why I think this has a legitimate shot to get to the finish line.''

The city report also said at least three other restaurants have signed on to lease space in the development, The Vig, Modern Margarita and Lo Bocca, all of which have other locations in the Valley. Additional space will be designated for more restaurants, retail and offices in an initial phase, with the possible addition later of nearly 50 residences, spaces for possible fitness center or yoga studio and a parking garage.

Vintage Partners, in its proposal to the city, said it hopes to have the theater open by December 2015. According to the proposal, the group was brought together by former Chandler City Councilman Martin Sepulveda, who is Vintage's development consultant, and includes David Scholl, former executive vice president of Westcor, which developed Chandler Fashion Center and Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall and later was acquired by Macerich, which currently owns both malls. Partners also include Arizona franchise owners of Alama Drafthouse Cinema.

The council resolution calls for a development proposal to be brought back before the council by the end of March.The council had put out a request for proposals for the land earlier this year. Vintage was among five that were submitted.

