The Aberdeen Mall is about to lose another business. Kelda Pharris reports in my local paywalled paper that Odyssey Entertainment is going to bring to Aberdeen the same kind of luxury movie house it built in Watertown in 2017.
The Watertown Odyssey Grand 8 Theatre sends this prepare-to-die notice to Aberdeen’s AMC Classic mall movie house via Facebook:
Valued Patrons, Aberdeen, SD & Area Residents:
Over the years we have been humbled by the hundreds of patrons who have contacted us asking us to build in Aberdeen, SD and bring them the level of service, quality, and amenities they have come to expect from our Watertown, SD location. We are very excited to make the following press release!
…Odyssey Entertainment is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with the Aberdeen Development Corporation (ADC) to develop a new state of the art wide aspect ratio 8 screen cineplex to Aberdeen. The new cineplex will be conveniently located next to the new Allevity Adventure Zone Entertainment Center on a ready to build 4.61-acre site just off Milwaukee Ave. SE.
Back in 2017 Odyssey Entertainment developed and opened the new state of the art Odyssey Grand 8 Cineplex in Watertown which has been wildly successful. “We heard loud and clear from many Aberdeen residents that visit our Watertown cineplex they would love us to bring a state of the art cineplex to Aberdeen. Working with the ADC staff and the Board of Directors of the ADC, we are pleased to announce we are bringing that wish to reality” said Steve Tripp, President of Odyssey Entertainment.
Michael Bockorny the CEO of the Aberdeen Development Corporation also commented, “We listened to the residents of Aberdeen and our surrounding region, a new state of the art cineplex has been desired for some time now. When this project is complete and open for business patrons will be treated to an amazing experience. Odyssey Entertainment simply does not cut any corners in their offerings to the customer, everything is first-class. We welcome and thank Odyssey Entertainment for making this investment in the community and region! “
The new cineplex will provide the latest in cinema design and amenities including luxury powered recliners located on clear unobstructed stadium viewing, 1.2:1 high aspect ratio large screen auditorium geometry powered by new cutting edge high contrast ratio ultra-bright RGB laser projection systems and powerful 11.1 high dynamic range digital sound systems that allow patrons to not only hear but feel the sound. The lobby will feature a large modern concession area featuring expanded food and beverage choices as well as a separate beer and wine bar area for adult patrons all hosted by Odyssey’s award-winning guest experience staff.
Construction is set to begin this summer with plans to be open later in the year.
Odyssey Entertainment, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN owns /
operates 10 cineplexes with 78 screens under both the Odyssey and CineMagic Theatres banners in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Ohio [Odyssey Grand 8 Theatre, Facebook post, 2020.03.11].
Odyssey doesn’t tell us exactly what favors the Aberdeen Development Corporation is offering in its agreement—cheap land, tax breaks, grants, who knows? Also remaining to be announced is whether the ADC plans to spend comparable resources in helping the existing mall cinema renovate and compete or whether the ADC has simply decided to pick a winner, focus on building the kind of theater that’s already getting Aberdonians to drive all the way to Watertown for beer with their movies, and let die the mall-o-plex that lost those customers in the first place. But given my occasional observations on the size of the movie-going public in the Hub City, I’ll bet the AMC Classic will close within a month of Odyssey’s opening, if not sooner.
It also appears the ADC is choosing to abandon the small food shops located across from the mall cinema and focus the new luxury cinema’s commercial synergy on our star-entrepreneur Al and David Novstrup‘s new beer-and-axe-throwing pleasure palace just to the north. Congratulations, Odyssey Entertainment! You’re in with the right crowd in Aberdeen!
I bet valuable patrons are begging to pay much higher ticket costs to pay for new theater.
Those kinds of movie houses are hot in this metro.
Old theatres, I mean 50+ year old theatres that were the original movie palaces are switching out to comfier seats and adding booze in the lobby.
In betweens like AMCs are adding comfier seats and keeping prices lower.
All 3 are surviving because they’re catering to different crowds. Aberdeen may not have the population for 3 levels.
Mike, I check the websites: I could walk into the Watertown Odyssey Grand 8 and see Call of the Wild for $9. Kids and old folks get in for $7.75. Same show tonight at the Aberdeen AMC Classic 9 will cost me $6.99; kids 12 and under get in for $4.99.
So a family (Mom, Dad, kid, kid’s friend, Grandma) seeing flicks in the Hub City saves $10.30 on tickets. But apparently lots of Aberdeen moviegoers are already willing to drive to Aberdeen and back, burning up $16-$20 worth of gas. So even if Odyssey brings its Watertown prices to Aberdeen, we’ll save money.
Another business enjoying synergy with the current AMC cinema that stands to be hurt by the new theater is ArcadeAway, the pinball/video-game arcade right next to the AMC box office… and a direct competitor with the Novstrup’s new family entertainment establishment.
As always, Debbo, I’m distressed to see how much extra people will spend just to have alcohol added to their entertainment. Why is alcohol so important to people’s leisure?
Cory, my SIL runs the American Theater complex in Cherokee, iowa and I can see any/all movies for free. So why don’t I?
Haven’t been in a movie theater since the early mid 70’s. The last movie I remember seeing is Dianna Ross in “Once is Not Enough.”
So did slimy Nostrap play a role in the new theatre deal? I hope inquiring Aberdeen minds want to know.
In my area, the older theaters find a niche in second run and independent films, while offering cheaper prices. The second run of blockbuster films bring in the kids and adolescents, while the independent films bring in a more sophisticated audience.
Mr. Novstrup, the elder, I mean, does like his movies with a good cold beer and a greasy bag of popcorn. But grudznick doesn’t know if either of the brothers Novstrup brokered this deal which will benefit Aberdeenites.
From experience of living in Watertown during the theater build and transition, everyone was concerned about rising costs. Honestly ticket prices didn’t change from what was already being paid. Now there will be an increase from AMC to Odyssey, but the movie experience is far better. I live in Sioux Falls currently and I far prefer the movie experience at Odyssey. The truth of the matter is AMC (and other like companies) have done nothing to better the experience for customers until they have fear of being driven out of business. Regardless Odyessy is a far better movie experience that will benefit Aberdeen vastly.
And I’ll pay a fair price for quality products and service, as surely, apparently, as Aberdonians have been willing to pay a higher price in tickets, gasoline, and time on the road to seek the superior movie-going experience that Odyssey offers in Watertown.
We’ve been out to three movies recently: Star Wars and Bad Boys at the mall and Parasite at the Capitol downtown. We had popcorn at each. The audiences for the two films at the mall were thin. We did the Capitol on a Sunday afternoon, and there was only one other patron in the house. Great movie, though, worthy of its Oscar.
Mike, why no movies out since the 1970s? There’s no right or wrong answer here; you can entertain yourself however you see fit. But I enjoy the big-screen experience, being separated from the details of daily life in a big dark room and immersed in the big visual and auditory stimuli.
Cory, I like movies in the theater for the same reasons. It’s just my bank book that has different tastes.
From my understanding, this movie theater has less expensive food options for people that will use those. Now, the movie theater in the mall is old, dirty, and in dire need of a repair. I am fine with the new business coming to town. Competition is never a bad thing. And so what if the Novstrups brought them here. Al is doing his job as a legislator by helping bring new businesses to the district he represents.
DR, I don’t know what role the Novstrups played in bringing the new cinema here. There appear to have been no legislative actions related to this recruitment, so it’s not about “doing a legislator’s job,” which is about making laws for the entire state and the common good, not private business recruitment to boost one’s own private enterprises.
Simply put, Cory, marriage, a child, Vocational school, back surgery, back to school, another child, another back surgery, a divorce, no job, no income as I wasn’t able to go back to work, child support bills, another Attempt to finish school, about two months before graduation I was informed I was unemployable in career as electrician/electronics, ongoing back problems etc., etc…. I finally gave up and ended up being self employed farm labor doing much harder labor than many construction jobs that wouldn’t hire me because of back problems.
I likely could have done some things differently, with hindsight.
Mike, we all could have.