Robert Francis
rfrancis@bizpress.net
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s announced its third Dallas-Fort Worth area location Aug. 27, confirming Las Colinas as the site. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will open in the new Music Factory at Las Colinas located at Hwy 114 and Fuller Drive immediately south of the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. “We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Music Factory at Las Colinas,” said Bill C. DiGaetano, COO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DFW. “We pride ourselves in taking first-run movies and events to the next level.” North Carolina-based ARK Group will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the Music Factory Entertainment Center at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30.
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on the future site of the project, 300-380 W. Las Colinas Blvd., next to the Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas. The event is free and open to the public. “We are very excited to bring this amazing project out of the ground and give the residents of Irving the world class entertainment center that they have long desired” said Noah Lazes, president of the ARK Group. The celebration will be family-friendly and will include food trucks, a special performance by an all-star band featuring members from Dashboard Confessional and The Apples in Stereo, as well asa free outdoor movie screening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark, ” courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse DFW, following the ceremony.
The Dallas office of architecture firm Gensler will design the $165 million development. “Gensler is very excited to be a part of the Music Factory project,” said Barry Hand, Gensler architect and Studio Director. “The Music Factory is a unique mix of business and lifestyle amenities that will bring needed vitality and a distinct sense of place to the Las Colinas district. The ARK Group has a track record of successful entertainment venues in other cities and its plans for the Music Factory far outpace the offerings at any of the existing entertainment complexes in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Music Factory will serve many segments of the corporate, residential and tourist demographics with diverse dining and entertainment attractions that will keep patrons and visitors coming back for more.” Balfour Azteca will be the construction manager and site grading is expected to begin in late August. The project is expected to employ more than 1,000 workers.
The development is slated to include 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, a 100,000-square-foot concert hall and amphitheater with 8,000 seats, an outdoor event plaza and 100,000 square feet of office space. “The addition of Alamo Drafthouse to this project is a tremendous win,” said Irving Interim City Manager Steve McCullough. “We recently announced the financing on the city’s portion of the Entertainment Center and are pleased to be moving forward and bringing additional entertainment options to Irving.”