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For years, shoppers at Coastland Center in Naples have asked when a theater might return to the mall.

Now there's an answer: Next year — if all goes as planned.

A new state-of-the-art CMX Cinébistro is set to make its Naples debut in late 2020, replacing the shuttered Sears department store and automotive center.

The luxury dine-in cinema concept isn't new, but it will be new to Naples, with the closest ones in Siesta Key, Doral and Miami.

There hasn't been a theater at Coastland Center mall along U.S. 41 south of Golden Gate Parkway in decades. There wasn't really room for one until now, said Glen Harrell, the mall's general manager. 

Sears' departure late last year created an opportunity to reinvent the northwest corner of the mall.

"Once we announced that Sears property was available for redevelopment we had a lot of people who were interested in doing a lot of things. But we were focused on getting a theater," Harrell said.

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Not any old theater would do, so the opportunity to add a high-end CMX CinéBistro to the roster of tenants rose to the top of the list. The dinner-and-a-movie theater offers reserved seating, comfortable leather chairs and chef-prepared American bistro cuisine made in a scratch kitchen and delivered seat side, along with fine wines and signature cocktails.

Although there are still some regulatory hoops to jump through with the city, Harrell doesn't anticipate any problems getting the final approvals for the redevelopment project from the Naples City Council.

More than a theater

A theater isn't all that's planned. 

The proposed project also includes a new facade and entrance plaza at the west end of the mall, which would sit next to the theater. 

Other planned improvements include adding more restaurants and a bank, along with all new landscaping, creating what Harrell describes as "arguably the best corner in Naples."

"This is a very exciting time for the Coastland mall — to be growing and meeting the needs and wants of the community and bringing in new uses," Harrell said.

The Sears buildings will be demolished. The theater will go in a new stand-alone building, next to the new mall entrance. There will be six screens and roughly 500 seats with swivel dining tables.

"It will be a special place — a very special place," Harrell said.

Frank Stryjewski, chief operating officer for CMX Cinemas,  a subsidiary of Cinemex, agrees.

A CMX CinéBistro at Coastland mall is a "match made in heaven," he said.

The opportunity to locate theaters at malls has grown because of the changing face of retail. A shift to online shopping has resulted in thousands of store closings, which have led to big empty spaces.

"The demographics of the market, in addition to the snowbirds that are down there during the peak season, are an ideal match for what a CinéBistro is, which is a higher-end kind of five-star dining experience," Stryjewski said.

CMX Cinemas growing across U.S.

CMX Cinemas has grown exponentially over the past year, opening new theaters across the country, as well as acquiring other movie theater chains, including Cobb Theatres and Cinébistro.

One of the most successful Cinébistros, in Siesta Key near Sarasota, opened about three years ago, Stryjewski said.

"Our affinity for markets like Naples is high and we continue to look for additional locations," he said. "We are quite relieved and quite happy to be coming to Naples with this concept." 

Cobb Theatres operated the original movie theater at Coastland mall years ago, and it was looking for a way to get back to Naples before it was acquired by CMX, Stryjewski said.

CMX is now the sixth-largest cinema chain in the world with more than 330 sites, 2,800 screens and 13,000 employees, according to its website.

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"It's very interesting to see how the mall developers and landlords are approaching their challenges," Stryjewski said. "Clearly, entertainment and restaurants is a big aspect of the solutions for them. 

"When you look at that Sears and how it's situated on the property and how it faces some of the key intersections, it makes it very attractive," he said.

He expects the new theater in Naples to attract residents and visitors alike. 

"The size of the screen is wall to wall, with state-of-the art sound system," Stryjewski said. "The seats are not just reclining seats, but comfortable and well-appointed seats. They have great additional features that just make the evening in the theater wonderfully relaxing and embrasive and immersive."

Every theater has its own executive chef, offering daily, weekly and seasonal specials catered to its market. Featured meals might include crab cakes, seared scallops, sweet tea pork chops and pan-seared salmon. 

For adults-only at night

After 5 or 6 p.m., the theater will be open only to adults 21 and older. 

"A lot of people like the fact that they can go to the movies and not be in the theater with young, noisy kids, or teenagers, and that is one of the appealing aspects of it for some," Stryjewski said.

"Now others, they line up and they like the massive experience of the big 20-screen theater, and that certainly exists in the market," he said.

While the market has smaller, more upscale theaters already, such as Silverspot Cinema at Mercato, Stryjewski said CMX sees room for more, especially in the location it's chosen, where there isn't a competitor for miles.

"We think we will create a new market where the trade area is, which is the mall," he said. "That's how we looked at it, and we felt very comfortable with it."

Previously: Sears is leaving Coastland Center mall. What should replace it?

In Sarasota, CMX slipped into the market between two competitors, and its theater has done very well since day one, Stryjewski said.

Here's what the experience is like: Movie-goers are encouraged to choose their seats and purchase their tickets online — and to arrive 30 minutes before their showtime. Friendly concierges greet patrons and provide them with tickets. A stylish bar and lounge awaits those who are eager to start their dining experience. Closer to showtime, a voice announces it's time to be seated, and ushers guide patrons to their chosen seats. Menus are delivered and servers take orders, with a quick turnaround. Dishes are removed about 10 minutes before the show starts, unless customers aren't ready.

"People do not like to be interfered with once the movie starts. That's why they are there. They are there for the movie," Stryjewski said.

Like Harrell, Stryjewski expects the approval process for the theater to go smoothly.

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"We're optimistic," he said. "I think everyone is on the same page about how important this is for the city and the mall and is very excited about it. I think everybody is staying focused on that."

The new theater and entrance plaza would be built on nearly 12 acres at 1900 and 2000 U.S. 41 N.

County records show the property targeted for redevelopment is owned by two entities, GS Portfolio Holdings 2017 LLC and Coastland Center LLC, affiliates of Brookfield Properties. One of the properties sold for $5.8 million in July 2017.

Last year Brookfield Properties Retail Group based in Chicago acquired General Growth, which owned and operated more than 100 malls across the country, including Coastland.

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