United Artists announce move to expand Riverview Theaters

Finding movies in Philadelphia should be a lot easier next year, following United Artists' announcement yesterday of plans to build two 10-screen theaters and expand its Riverview Plaza theater complex by the end of next year. But the plan -- which proposes to increase the number of screens at the Riverview from 11 to 17 while building 300,000 square feet of restaurants and retail across the street from it -- may pose serious competition to a similar, partially city-funded project at Penn's Landing. The Riverview -- located at 1400 S. Delaware Avenue -- is popular with many Penn students because of its wide selection of movies. The Penn's Landing project -- which is a favorite of Mayor Ed Rendell -- contains plans for a large mall and 24-screen AMC theatre complex by 2000. But while the Penn's Landing project will receive $30 million from the city to build a parking garage, it may be threatened by the UA complex's earlier opening date. James Cuorato, executive vice president of the Penn's Landing Corp., denied that the UA complex would be competition for his project, but admitted "that our developer will take [UA's 26 new screens] into consideration" while deciding on the amount of theaters for the Penn's Landing development. And Cuorato stressed that while he doesn't "know whether they'll adjust the number [of screens]," he promised there would be "over 20" in the Penn's Landing project. The expanded Riverview complex -- which is being built by the UA and Tower Investments -- will abut more than 100,000 feet of pre-existing,Tower-owned retail. The new theaters will include "large wall-to-wall screens," "comfortable high-back rocker chairs," and "stadium seating allowing for unobstructed sight lines from every seat," according to a UA release. Cuorato stressed that he will not receive the tax subsidy unless his project is completed, and doubted the UA project could be built with only private funds. "We should wait and see if they really make it happen that way," he said. The Penn's Landing proposal features 500,000 to 600,000 square feet of shops, restaurants, and "special attractions" -- which may include an interactive tourist's guide to Philadelphia as well as Steven Spielberg's high-tech Gameworks arcade. Additionally, Cuorato said he was attempting to attract stores such as F.A.O. Schwartz, Niketown and a Virgin Megastore to Penn's Landing. The top-level of the mall may also feature a public park and a new amphitheater, as well as two ice skating rinks. Rendell visited Las Vegas last week to view the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, a successful mall run by the leasing company for Penn's Landing Corp., the Simon DeBartolo Group, Inc. At the time, Rendell said he wanted to transplant the Forum Shop's community-oriented entertainments without the Vegas glam.

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