Red Oak Is About To Get Really Entertaining
The city, which has a population of approximately 13,000, has attracted a massive entertainment complex with theaters, bowling, concessions and an arcade.
Mohamed Sharaf, vice president of development for developer Vitron Group, said the 80,000-square-foot theater complex will be part of the 70-acre mixed-use development Red Oak Legacy Square. Construction on the project will begin early next year after unanimous approval by the Red Oak City Council on Tuesday, Sharaf said.
B&B Theatres and Victron Group will open the new upscale, state-of-the-art cinema in Red Oak in 2021.
“The development will also have 300 nice apartments, restaurants and offices,” Sharaf said.
Located with great visibility off of I-35E, the new theater will be a major addition to the dining, shopping and entertainment development.
The facility will feature 12 auditoriums and some of B&B’s most innovative theatrical concepts, including the company’s signature Grand Screen premium large format with specialized wall-to-wall curved screens, 28-inch stadium seating, RealD 3D and High Frame Rate (on select films), DTS-X immersive surround sound, and digital projection. Red Oak’s Grand Screen will be 70 feet wide, making it one of the largest screens in the nation. The theater will also have heated reclining seats, Sharaf said.
Red Oak Legacy Square
Beyond the cinematic experience, the complex will also feature an entertainment center that will be home to sixteen lanes of B-Roll Bowling, an Outtakes Arcade–featuring both classic games of yesteryear and today’s cutting-edge hits, complete with ticketing and prize redemption. The amenities will round off with reserved recliner seating in every auditorium and the Marquee Bar and Grille, offering Food-to-Go extended menu options, plus wine, beer and cocktails for guests of age.
B&B Theatres Backstage Pass, the circuit’s free loyalty program, will be available to all guests at this new location and will offer special deals and promotions throughout the year.
Why Red Oak? Because it’s home, says Sharaf. Sharaf was raised in Ovilla and attended Red Oak schools.
“My father immigrated from Syria in 1986,” he said. “He was an engineer and loved to build stuff. Ovilla was a big patch of farmland. He mainly built gas stations and began developing the whole southeast. If it’s your community and your backyard, be good to them, he said” Sharaf said of his father, Ali. “He passed away five years ago from brain cancer. Red Oak Legacy Square is named in his honor. He said Red Oak has always been missing a movie theater.”
Sharaf expects the theater complex to draw more than a million people a year, thanks to busy Interstate 35 and Ovilla Road.
B&B Theatres Red Oak Will Be State Out The Art
B&B Theatres President and CEO Bob Bagby said, “We love our current Texas operations, and the expansion into Red Oak is a natural fit. We are pleased to be moving forward with the project and are confident that Legacy Square will become an area with tremendous energy with people coming and going, shopping and dining…and we want to provide them the best entertainment experience possible!”
Bagby continued, “Building a new theatre is a huge undertaking and we couldn’t be more excited about working with the Victron Group, especially since the Red Oak theater will offer sixteen lanes of bowling in addition to cutting-edge cinema presentation, reserved recliner seating, delicious Food-to-Go extended menu options, a full-service bar, and so much more. Being in touch with the community, developing strong relationships, and exceeding guest expectations have become hallmarks of our growth over the last few years, and we’re very excited to bring B&B Theatres to Red Oak.”
City of Red Oak Mayor Mark Stanfill added, “Our citizens have been asking for development that will allow them to have more entertainment, dining, and shopping right here in our own town. I’m excited that this project is going to provide a venue that will do not only that but draw others to our fabulous city. It’s a great win for Red Oak.”
Family owned and operated B&B Theatres is the 6th largest theatre chain in North America and operates 407 screens at 50 locations in Kansas, Florida, Missouri, Mississippi, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Red Oak will be its third location in the Lone Star state.