The news we first shared with you back at Halloween is finally starting to come to fruition. Celebration! Cinema Benton Harbor announced today that the project to introduce the newest advance in luxury theatre seating will begin next week.
Dan Rimpell is General Manager of the Celebration! Cinema multiplex at 1468 Cinema Way just off of Pipestone Road in Benton Harbor. He says, “These power, luxury reclining seats are going to redefine movie-going for our guests.” He adds, “Our theatre exists to create space where story happens. This project is creating the most comfortable and relaxed movie-going experience in the region. The experience is as important as the movie itself.”
The project begins next Monday, February 13th with seat removal in three auditoriums followed by reconfiguration of stadium seat flooring, new seat delivery and installation.
Rimpel tells us, “This upgrade to our theatre will not result in a change to ticket pricing,” adding, “We’re simply committed to providing the best movie experience in the area.”
The nearly $1.8-million investment upgrade will take place in phases so the theatre will remain open for business throughout the project.
Rimpel says they will remodel the auditoriums a few at a time, noting, “We will continue to show the movies and programming people want to see while deactivating only a few auditoriums. The entire project will be completed in June.”
Celebration! Cinema was an industry leader with stadium seating in 1997 when it built the Benton Harbor location – the first Celebration! Cinema branded location for owner and CEO John D. Loeks and Loeks Theatres, Inc. Today there are eight Celebration! Cinema locations.
Celebration! Cinema has already introduced fully reclining seats to a total of four of its locations in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and two in Lansing, garnering to an enthusiastic response. Rimpel suggests, “Movie-going is an affordable luxury, and we want people to relax and get swept up in the story on the screen.”
Benton Harbor-area guests will get their first experience soon, with first auditoriums scheduled to be completed in late March. In the meantime, theatre guests are welcome to try out the new deluxe power recliners on display in the theatre lobby.
Seating Project At A Glance
- Project begins Monday, February 13 with seat removal in three auditoriums.
- First three remodeled auditoriums with new power luxury recliners will be complete late March or early April.
- 2,200 seats currently – 860 total reclining seats when project is complete.
- $1.8-million investment.
- New reclining seats are being manufactured by Irwin Seating Company of Grand Rapids.
- Project will be complete in June.
John D. Loeks owns and operates Celebration! Cinema movie theatres in Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Gaines Township, Grandville, Lansing, Muskegon/Norton Shores, Okemos, Kalamazoo/Portage, Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, and Mt. Pleasant, all in Michigan.
