Mann Theatres to Open at GM Site

Mann Theatres said Tuesday it will build a 16-screen complex at the former General Motors plant site, becoming the first tenant to publicly commit to an ambitious development plan for the long-idle parcel.

The theater will be the largest of three new complexes that Mann plans to open in the San Fernando Valley by the end of 1997. The other two projects are an eight-screen theater in Agoura Hills and a four-screen complex in Glendale.

The 72,000-square-foot theater, which is proposed for the corner of Van Nuys Boulevard and Arminta Street, will seat about 4,000, making it the second-largest theater in the Valley.

Like the other theaters, it will include digital stereo sound and giant curved screens.

Mann representatives declined to estimate the construction cost of the three new Valley theaters, but the projects reflect strong optimism in the movie industry over the next few years.

“It’s a very healthy industry right now,” said Rich Given, Mann’s executive director of marketing and publicity. “There is more product out right now, and the consumers need access to the product.”

Mayor Richard Riordan, whose business team supported the development of the GM site, said he hopes Mann’s announcement will encourage others to formally commit to the project.

“The site of the former General Motors plant will soon be an engine of economic growth” in the area, the mayor said.

Mann, one of the largest theater chains in Southern California, was selected for the GM project over several other firms, including the theater firm owned by former basketball star and businessman Magic Johnson.

Bob Selleck Jr., a partner in Selleck Properties, which has teamed with Voit Cos. to develop the GM site, declined to comment on the Mann announcement, except to say: “It was never difficult finding a theater for the project. The hard part was choosing which one.”

Selleck and Voit announced plans in February for a $100-million development on the 63-acre site, including 380,000 square feet of retail space and 520,000 square feet of light industrial space and a 24,000-square-foot police substation.

In August, Selleck officials said they had tentative commitments for a theater operator and shop owners willing to occupy more than half of the retail space. However, Selleck officials declined to name any firms, pending final approval.

Last week, officials gave preliminary approval to a $4-million federal grant to pay for traffic improvements around the project.

The GM development was proposed amid concern from neighbors and police over a stubborn crime problem in the area, particularly around nearby Blythe Street.

But Mann representatives and other backers of the project say the theater company has a good reputation for providing security in its movie houses.

“For me, that was a key component for whoever goes in there,” said Councilman Richard Alarcon, a major proponent of the GM project, which is in his northeast Valley district.

Mann officials said they have no concerns about crime in the area but plan to have “appropriate security” to deal with whatever problems may arise.

“Our company certainly has a good reputation in the industry in terms of providing good quality theaters,” Given said.

Mann sees the northeast Valley as an untapped market for theatergoers and expects the GM project to generate huge crowds, he added.

“Certainly, the area will benefit from our theaters,” Given said.