Sentinel staff report–
Plans for the old Kmart lot in Citrus Heights now include a 50,000-square-foot Studio Movie Grill, along with Big Lots and several other small pads for lease.
An application detailing the new plans was submitted last week to the city, proposing to “remodel and re-purpose an existing vacant building into a movie theatre,” according to the city’s planning division. The massive 90,000-square-feet former Kmart building at 8501 Auburn Blvd. has been vacant since closing last April and has generated significant interest in the community on what would replace the old store.
Earlier plans included a large Rebounderz trampoline arena, but Senior Planner Casey Kempenaar said in an email on Wednesday that Rebounderz is no longer a part of the project. A phone message left with the company’s headquarters in Florida was not immediately returned.
Studio Movie Grill is set to be the largest tenant at the site and currently has about 30 locations nationwide, with the closest location being in Rocklin. The company is known for its in-theatre dining concept, which features comfortable seating and individual tabletops for a unique movie-watching experience while dining. Call buttons are also placed at each seat, allowing for food and drink orders to be placed and delivered during the film showing.
A spokesperson from the movie grill’s Texas-based headquarters was not able to be reached on Wednesday, but plans submitted to the city show the theatre will take up roughly half of the existing building on the left side and will also feature a small addition to the existing structure. The right-rear of the building is carved out for a 34,000-square-foot Big Lots store, and a 4,500-square-feet spot in front of the discount retailer is listed as another leasable space “not to exceed 4,500 square feet.” An additional 5,000-square-feet spot is also shown along the front of the building.
Site plan: see the layout of what’s proposed at the old Kmart site
Kempenaar said the smaller tenant spaces do not currently have known tenants. He said planning commission approval for the project is not required.
Although Studio Movie Grill had been rumored as a future tenant, Auburn Boulevard Business Association President Richard Hale told The Sentinel Wednesday evening that he was pleased an application had been submitted to the city.
“That will be a game-changer at that end of the boulevard,” said Hale. “I’m very happy with that.”
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*An initial version of this story incorrectly stated the square footage of one of the additional leasable spots.
