Next year, Elizabeth City residents will have their choice of eight gigantic screens for watching just-released studio films as plans for a new multiplex cinema continue to unfold. Earlier this year, Albemarle Theatres LLC proposed the development of a $10 million Cineplex at City Center West during city and county public hearings. In February, both City of Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County commissioners cleared the way for the project, voting in favor of a Business Investment Program incentive for the project.
Principals of Albemarle Theatres LLC include local business leaders Arthur McPherson III, with McPherson Investments in Elizabeth City; Henry Revelle of Revelle Builders in Murfreesboro; and Scott Cohen, who operates R.C. Theatres on the Outer Banks and other locations in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. McPherson said the Cineplex would feature 50-foot screens, reclining lounge chairs and a state-of the art sound system.
“This is a hugely important cultural marker for our community, especially for our college students, Coast Guard families and people and businesses who are considering moving to our area,” said Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Economic Development Commission Director Wayne Harris.
With the tax incentives approved, the development principals are moving forward with the project. Construction is projected to begin this June, with a June 2019 opening date.
