Coming soon: A 14-screen theater

Signature Theatres on Wednesday announced plans for a 14-screen movie theater complex with stadium seating as part of a new, 21-acre development on U.S. 93 just south of the Target/Home Depot center.

The new development, called Hutton Ranch Plaza, also will include 150,000 square feet of mixed commercial and retail use. The plans call for two major retailers as well as restaurants and smaller shops, although no tenants have been announced yet.

Developer Phil Harris, who is the Signature CEO, said, "We are excited to have this opportunity to provide Kalispell and the entire region with a mixed-use project incorporating entertainment, retail and service components."

Construction is scheduled to begin by late spring, with the theater and other businesses opening in November or December of next year.

"Kalispell is one of the last of the Signature markets to be completely redone," Harris said. "We've been looking at this for a while."

Hutton Ranch Plaza is in advanced stages of design, and will be submitted to the Tri-City Planning Office before the end of the year.

Signature, based in California, owns the Gateway Cinema six-plex and the Strand and Liberty theaters in downtown Kalispell. The company recently sold its theaters in California and Hawaii to Regal Entertainment.

The Gateway theater complex will be torn down and redeveloped, possibly as a hotel, Harris said. The Strand Theater will be closed, but the Liberty will remain open as a specialty film and live performance venue, he said.

The project will almost double the number of movie screens in Kalispell while continuing development near the intersection of U.S. 93 and West Reserve Drive, which Harris said was "fast becoming the center of the county's commercial activity."

Reporter Alan Choate may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at achoate@dailyinterlake.com