Theater to remain open during renovations
Published 9:45 am Wednesday, May 4, 2016
- UPGRADES: Claudio Urena is in charge of the seat installation at the B&B Theatres’ Vicksburg Mall 6. The renovations started Monday and will continue on and off throughout the summer.
Out with the old and in with the new.
Renovation work on B&B Theatre’s Vicksburg Mall 6 began Monday with the old theater seats in some of the auditoriums being taken out to make way for new flooring and electric, leather recliners.
“The primary push right now is the removal of the outdated fixed seats and the installation of the electric recliners,” said Paul Farnsworth, district marketing and public relations manager. “Once that transition is complete, work will begin on lobby, concession and signage.”
Work will take place in Auditoriums 1 through 4 for the next two weeks with the renovations in those auditoriums set to be complete Thursday, May 19. Work will begin Monday, May 23 on Auditoriums 5 and 6. Those two auditoriums may take a little more time to enhance, but Brock Bagby, director of programming and business development, is projecting they should still be complete by mid-June.
“The stadium will have to be elongated to have the extra space for the recliners,” Bagby said. “That will be a two to three-week process to get those complete.”
Currently, two auditoriums in the theater are still showing movies. The theater does not plan to shut down completely at any point during the renovation process but will have certain auditoriums closed as upgrades are put in place.
“The goal is to never close,” Bagby said. “Even when we do the lobby, we’re going to try to set up a way to sell concessions. We’ll always be open in some way, shape or form.”
With the renovations come other upgrades to the facility. A 3D screen has been ordered for the theater with a goal to be up and running by June 17 for “Finding Dory.” Moviegoers will also be able to take advantage of reserved seating by choosing their own seats when purchasing tickets.
Phase two of the renovation project will begin in August when the theater revamps the lobby and concession area with new carpet and paint, a self-serve soda machine and a bar.
“The remodel package is comprehensive, and each aspect of the transition is enhanced by the others,” Farnsworth said.
A free rewards system called B&B Theatres Backstage Pass Loyalty Program is also coming to the theater with discounts on concessions and movie tickets for repeat customers.
“We run promotions like that throughout the year for members,” Bagby said. “If the people aren’t signed up yet, it’s a great time to sign up.”
For more information, visit bbtheatres.com or bbtheatres.com/facebook.