Better late than never: cineplex is coming to Westfall Town Center

WESTFALL — Thanksgiving has come and gone, and locals are still waiting for the Westfall 7 Cinema that was to open by last week inside the former Grand Union at Westfall Town Center. Fortunately for the eager movie-goers, developer Norman Adie has the explanation behind the delay. “The only reason for the hold up was because we decided to redesign the theater, and brought in a new architect. This is a much bigger job than I had originally anticipated, and I felt it had to be approached in a different way,” said the Scottish owner. Among several other movie franchises, Adie owns the Foxmoor 7 Cinema in Monroe County. But Marshalls Creek isn’t close enough, Adie said, nor is the AMC Theater in Middletown. Damon Ficken, 16, of Milford, agrees. “People complain about kids just hanging around and skateboarding, but if there was a movie theater here that wasn’t falling apart, they would have somewhere to go,” Ficken said. “Not everyone can drive 45 minutes to go see a movie.” Likely consumers joined other plaza merchants who see new opportunities for sales with the coming of the new movie complex. “I think it’s a great idea,” said Bill Freeman, manager of the Gallery of Sound. “There’s not a lot of places to go around here. It will be great to have a place to hang out and catch a movie. “Especially, since it’s so close to the school. It’s even in walking distance,” Freeman added. After looking at the demographics of the Westfall area, at the “crossroads of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” as Adie said, neither of the existing cinemas is accessible enough for the citizens. “Around here, you’ve got a big Lowes that opened up along with some very successful stores. When you see that, you know there are people,” he continued. Inside the renovated Grand Union, Adie is looking to place a Starbucks Coffee vendor, as well as an entertainment area for children and families. He said his proposal is “very family-focused.” But that isn’t all, the builder said. The staffing ratio of the theater will be split 60 percent towards part-time and weekend shifts, and 40 percent full-time. If teens aren’t getting off their skateboards to watch the movies, they can opt for jobs in concession or ticket sales. Both Adie and Kimberly Wilson, director of property management at Centerpoint Properties, which owns the Westfall Town Center, are confident that the Westfall 7 Cinema will have lighted screens by April of 2008.