“Wawa + movie theater = up to 70 new jobs for Riverview, Gibsonton” From Gibsonton, FL.

posted by ThrHistoricalSociety on January 11, 2015 at 9:37 pm

Movie fans and hoagie lovers, rejoice, your day is coming.

A new Wawa convenience store, famous in the Northeast for their subs, is due to open in Riverview this month, and a high-tech movie theater is also on schedule to open in Gibsonton later this year.

Wawa, 9617 U.S. 301 S., is set to hold its grand opening Thursday, Jan. 15. The 14-screen Goodrich Quality Theaters multiplex at Gibsonton Drive and I-75 is due to open in November.

The new theater and convenience store are expected to bring more than 30 full-time jobs as well as more than 40 part-time positions.

“Progress can be a beautiful thing,” said Tanya Doran, executive director of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce. “Having these companies come in and invest in our community will help provide jobs in our area, which is also great for local businesses, especially if they turn around [and] buy homes in the area, go out to local restaurants and shop in the community. It’s an economic benefit that will help boost the community.”

South Shore movie lovers now have a choice of navigating the third circle of Hades, otherwise known as Brandon traffic, to watch a film at the AMC Regency in Brandon or heading south to Bradenton or into Tampa to catch a film. Or they can watch an outdoor movie at the Ruskin Family Drive-In.

“Having a movie theater in our area is going to be great,” said Daryl Clark, a longtime Riverview resident. “Brandon, for us, normally takes about 25 to 30 minutes to get to, and then you have the traffic and the crowds, so having a movie house closer to our area will just make things a little more convenient.”

Clark expects other businesses to ride the coattails of the megaplex. “I know with big-time movie theaters such as this, it will also bring other goods and services to the area. My whole family is excited,” he said.

The 14-screen state-of-the-art 80,000-square-foot theater features one large-format auditorium, and a bar and grill with theaters featuring recliner seating. The new facility is being developed by Anthony Properties of Dallas, Texas, and designed by Paradigm Design of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Read the entire article online at observernews.net