WEST CHESTER TWP. — Developers of one of four mall projects proposed here announced Tuesday their anchor tenant will be a movie theater, and said construction will begin next month.

        Rave Theaters, based in Dallas, will anchor The Streets of West Chester with an 82,000-square-foot theater that will include 4,100 stadium-style seats and 18 screens, said David Kass, president of Continental Retail Development.

        The $100 million center, to be located on 100 acres at the southeast corner of Union Centre Boulevard and Interstate 75, will feature restaurants, shopping, offices and 400 apartments. High-end national chain restaurants and a bookstore will be announced next month, Mr. Kass said.

        The movie theater — the 11th in the Rave chain — will open by May.

        “This is an outstanding project for the community,” Mr. Kass said. “We are in a very quick time frame to build the theater. We have to move. It's only about an eight-month construction period.”

        Ground will be broken on the theater at a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

        The project's start marks a step toward the completion of the township's 2012 plan, which designates the Union Centre Boulevard area as a downtown of sorts for development such as lifestyle centers, township officials said.

        “This is great,” Trustee Dave Tacosik said. “It's really nice that we will have a place to entertain folks. We will end up with a good product out here.”

        Greater Cincinnati's dominant movie chain, Showcase Cinemas, also is planning to put a theater in the West Chester/Liberty area, but company officials have not announced where.

        The Streets of West Chester is the second shopping center to begin building in West Chester this year. In June, construction began on Voice of America Centre — a 500,000-square-foot discount-shopping complex anchored by Target — on the northeast corner of Cox and Tylersville roads.

        Mr. Kass said he doesn't consider the VOA project as competition because its offerings are discount-oriented.

        “We are very far ahead of anyone else,” he said. “We are the only developer in this mall war ... that actually owns their site and has all their approvals and has been under construction with roads and utilities.”

        Two other mall projects are proposed in West Chester but have stalled because:

        One has no tenants yet.

        The other is delayed by court proceedings and rezoning.

        A “mall war” developed over the past year in West Chester among developers racing to lure retailers and movie theaters.

        The Butler County Commission recently got into the fray, urging West Chester officials to do more to lure high-end retailers

'The New World of Children's'
Driver worried for riders
Police urge changes to Reunion
Metro ballot issue asks for boost in sales tax
Student transfer program limited
Coming soon, on street near you: 'Seabiscuit'
Corridor project field study to begin
County bosses asked to make cuts
Obituary: Marie Grote, 81, worked at seminary
Sleepless in the slots aisles
Tristate A.M. Report
Urban League officially retires $5 million debt
BRONSON: No excuses
GUTIERREZ: Back to school
HOWARD: Some Good News
KORTE: City Hall
SMITH AMOS: Black Family Reunion
Debate grows over replacing library
Heated exchange over interchange
Kings has new chief
Movie chain to anchor upscale W. Chester mall
Parks, fire levies on in Liberty
S. Lebanon may share deputies
Warren GOP dealing on leaders
Adena restoration takes tips from past
No indictment in 1977 killing
Trustee for pension fund quits under fire
Bush gives his support to Geoff Davis
For horses, hopes ride on new homes
Kentuckian with West Nile Virus dies
Newport might buy properties for project
Tractor flips, kills man
Weinberg focuses on party base