Wasilla market excites theater company

WASILLA — John Schweiger says everything is looking good for his plans to build a 10- or 12-screen theater in Wasilla.

And, if his experience in the business means anything, rumors that Regal Cinemas is eyeing a spot in the Valley won’t amount to much.

“Our business model fits Wasilla, their business model doesn’t, unless we’ve greatly underestimated Wasilla,” said Schweiger, founder of Coming Attractions Theatres.

Messages left on Regal’s media inquiries line were not returned as of press time.

Schweiger’s company has more than 20 theaters in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.

When he talks about Regal, Schweiger said he’s not just talking as a competitor. Coming Attractions has a great working relationship with Regal, he said. And he understands its operation to be based more around theaters in markets much larger than Wasilla.

“I would be shocked if Regal did go there. They’ve got 95 percent of the Alaska market now,” Schweiger said, adding, “they ought to leave a little bit for us little guys.”

Schweiger was reacting to an announcement last month from F-E Contracting that the company had been working with Regal, which has had representatives in the area eyeing land to possibly build a 12-screen theater in Wasilla.

In an interview last month, Sandy Morgan, owner of Mat-Su Cinemas, the Valley’s only current theater, said she, too, was skeptical about the announcement, coming as it did from a contractor rather than the company itself.

“I had a good rapport with [Regal] and they promised me if they came they would let me know,” she said.

One thing is sure, Schweiger said — the announcement hasn’t changed his plans to build a theater in Wasilla.

Schweiger said the theater he plans to build will be housed in a well-designed building incorporating Native art into its façade.

“It will be 100 percent digital, totally state-of-the-art, all stadium seating,” he said. “I’m going to say now it’s going to be a 12-plex, but it might be a 10.”

Digital theaters, he said, seem to be popular.

Schweiger said he opened one last month and, “That’s become our No. 2 theater in the company already.”

He said the company is set to purchase 12.7 acres of land next to Wal-Mart, a piece of a larger parcel next to the big-box retailer. With that land, he said, between five and six acres will be for the theater. There’s a certain amount also set aside for snow removal and landscaping, he said. But there will likely be other retailers or restaurants moving into the site.

As to the process, Schweiger said the company plans to return to Wasilla for its Nov. 24 hearing before the Wasilla City Council, which is set to approve or deny the recommendation of the city’s planning commission on rezoning the land from residential to commercial. He doesn’t expect any problems.

Then they plan to put the project out to bid.

“With everything that’s happened in the world, we think that there’s going to be a lot of companies that are looking for work,” he said.

He said he expects proposals from three firms — two Alaskan firms and one from Outside.

“With a lot of luck we’re planning on starting construction in April,” Schweiger said.