The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Nick Walton

Grove Theater now open in Wesley Chapel

By

Streaming movies from the comfort of home has undoubtedly surged in recent years — and only ramped up more in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, at least one local movie theater is trying to change this behavioral shift, by cultivating unique entertainment experiences not found from your sofa.

After a six-monthlong makeover totaling upwards of $6 million, Grove Theater, Bistro and Entertainment is ready for action — reopening with 50% capacity on Feb. 19, at 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The renovated Grove Theater, Bistro and Entertainment in Wesley Chapel is now open on weekends with limited capacity. The two-story, 85,000-square-foot complex is billed as a movie theater of the future — featuring 12 movie theaters with fully reclining seats, an upscale bistro restaurant and bar with in-movie dining, sushi bar, spin bike room, comedy club, acting studio, 40-plus game arcade and kid’s birthday party room. (Courtesy of MGoldProperties)

Billed as a movie theater of the future, the two-story, 85,000-square-foot complex takes a swiss army knife approach to amusement.

Formerly called the Cobb Grove 16 Theatre, the newly updated space has a little bit of everything.

Anchored by 12 movie theaters (some with fully reclining seats), the complex also features the following amenities:

  • Upscale bistro restaurant and bar with in-movie dining
  • Sushi bar
  • Spin bike room
  • Comedy club
  • Acting studio
  • 40-plus game arcade
  • Supervised children’s playroom
  • Birthday party room

Additional cinema add-ons include private movie theater rentals, where friends, families or corporate gatherings can reserve a room for $300. There’s also upper-deck level VIP sections for ages 21 and up at six theaters, for those seeking a more quiet, peaceful and luxurious atmosphere.

As part of the renovations, the building underwent a complete overhaul to allow for a modernized open-concept lobby, updated dining space, new color scheme, floors, carpet, décor and light fixtures.

Fully reclining seats and an in-theater dining service are just some of the many features at the renovated Grove Theater, Bistro and Entertainment in Wesley Chapel. Private theater rentals also are available. (Courtesy of MGoldProperties_

Various COVID-19-related safety precautions also were implemented as part of the new digs, including automatic temperature checks at entrance, UV light sanitation technology, fog machines to disinfect theaters between showings, hand sanitizer stations, required face coverings, and limited capacity with checkerboard and reserved seating.

The reimagined cinema is just one piece of the campus’ transformation.

An event stage, splash pad water park, 18-hole miniature golf course and shipping container park also are in the works just outside the building’s confines.

The wholesale renovation has come under the watch of Mishorim Gold Properties and developer and landlord Mark Gold, who originally purchased the entire 250-acre Grove at Wesley Chapel property in September 2019 for $64 million. The site also features existing traditional box stores and a quaint village shopping center.

With an array of activities, Grove Theater figures to be a family destination beyond a place to simply catch a movie then return home, Gold explained during a Feb. 17 media tour of the facility.

Rather, families can grab a bite to eat, play some games and watch a movie all in one place, however they see fit.

“It’s the solution for a family to go out today,” he said. “This is the future of the movie theater today, because people are not going to only stay two hours for a movie, people are going to stay four or five hours.”

In addition to seeing a movie, comedy show or play, Grove Theater offers a 40-plus game arcade space for children and adults, housed in the first-floor lobby. (Kevin Weiss)

At least one distinctive amenity generating quite a buzz is a spin bike studio — titled Cycle Cinema.

With exercise classes housed inside one of the former first-floor theater rooms, a surround sound, projector screen and stadium layout offers “a one-of-a-kind, fully immersive experience you won’t find anywhere else when it comes to cycling and indoor classes,” said Nick Walton, a managing partner in the Cycle Cinema venture.

The room normally would accommodate up to 45 spin bikes, but has been pared to 16 spaced out stations due to the coronavirus.

Scheduled classes range from live instructor-led to virtual reality options, taking fitness enthusiasts through the Swiss Alps and other digitally created places to the tune of upbeat music.

There’s even an option to spin while viewing a full-length feature film on the big screen “so if you’re up for it, if you want to spin for two hours, come on in,” Walton said.

The bike room is still undergoing test runs, with three-day free trials being offered to the public.

Grove Theater also partnered with Side Splitters Comedy Club and The Acting Studio to bring other added showbiz frills to the facility — each getting a dedicated first-floor auditorium room of their own. Side Splitters will host nationally recognized comedians, while The Acting Studio will host plays, shows and acting classes, for children and adults alike.

As questions linger about the survival and adaptability of cinemas across the country, the Grove Theater strives to stand out as a box office hit.

Spin bike classes take place in one of the former first-floor theaters, where exercisers get the benefit of surround sound, projector screen and stadium experience. There are options for a live instructor, virtual reality settings and even full-length feature films while spinning. (Courtesy of MGoldProperties)

“Watching a movie at home and watching a movie on the screen, it’s not the same, we all know this,” said Grove Theater vice president of operations Matheus Gold.

“We want to go out, we want to enjoy, we want to be able to have a movie session with our friends and not just sit at home, and here you feel even more comfortable with that. You can have a VIP dining experience, you have games, you have a comedy club, you can have different types of drinks, all sorts of stuff that you can’t find at your own home, and at the same time feel comfortable and feeling safe.”

And, while the pandemic remains a concern for many, Matheus feels the venue is opening at a time where people are eager to find something to do.

He observed: “I feel like people have been staying home for a long time, and they want to go out, they want to have fun, they want to enjoy, but I also know that a lot of people are scared to go out, so that’s why we’re taking so many precautions and why we invested so much money into making sure that this is a safe space for everyone; we’re trying to provide that comfort for everyone.”

Further underscoring the theater’s unique features, Matheus quipped: “Have you ever seen a sushi bar inside of a movie theater? I haven’t…”

Grove Theater, Bistro and Entertainment will be open Fridays through Sundays, from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets can be reserved at GroveTheater.com.

Grove Theater, Bistro and Entertainment,  6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel:

  • 12 movie theaters (some with fully reclining seats and VIP access)
  • Upscale bistro restaurant, sushi restaurant and full bar with in-movie dining
  • Arcade with 40-plus games for children and adults
  • Cycle Cinema, a fitness experience where riders can take spin classes to the tune of an instructor, virtual reality settings, and full-length feature films
  • Side Splitters Comedy Club will host nationally touring comedians.
  • Kids Play Place, a supervised space for children to play that will feature slides and ball pits, to allow adults to catch a movie, comedy show or play
  • The Acting Studio will host plays, shows and acting classes, for children and adults alike.

Published February 24, 2021

Zephyrhills sets tentative millage rate

By

Zephyrhills property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The Zephyrhills City Council on July 27 unanimously voted to set the tentative millage rate at 6.35 mills — a rate the municipality has maintained for several years.

Public hearings on the proposed property tax rate have been scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 28.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The council does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value.

In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $5.32 million in property taxes — a revenue increase of nearly $380,000 compared with last year.

The figures are based on the total city’s property value of nearly $838 million, an increase of $63.8 million over last year. Of that increase, $28.7 million is attributable to new construction.

The city’s tentative budget is typically set by Aug. 1 each year. However, staff requested to delay the deadline until Aug. 7, because the city is awaiting various revenue estimates from the state.

In other news, council members received an update on the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation’s outreach plans, in the midst of COVID-19.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road, won’t open its doors until mid- or late September, but inroads are being made to grow the sport among local youth.

The outreach will be done through the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation, a nonprofit that subsidizes tennis equipment, lessons and afterschool programs to underserved community youth, in partnership with the forthcoming tennis facility.

Nick Walton, the foundation’s program director, explained that the foundation had partnered with West Zephyrhills Elementary School to offer an afterschool tennis program in the spring, but that the program had to be postponed until the fall because of the pandemic.

In addition to partnering with individual schools, including West Zephyrhills Elementary, Walton said the nonprofit also will host a series of free afterschool programs available to all youth in the community during the 2020-2021 school year — regardless of whether students attend brick-and-mortar schools or take virtual classes.

The afterschool program likely will be held around 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m., on weekdays, Walton said.

“We’ve secured enough funding right now to secure us through the entire school year, so you guys will be seeing me, hopefully trying to raise more, and get into more schools and have more programs running,” Walton told the council.

The nearly $5 million tennis complex features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, as well as a state-of-the art indoor health and wellness center, among other amenities.

The facility is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

Virtual meetings set for audio upgrades
In the last several weeks, Zephyrhills city government meetings have mostly returned in-person amid COVID-19, but citizens still have the opportunity to listen and participate through a telephone call-in number.

The Zephyrhills City Hall council chambers is being outfitted with a new computer system to enhance audio quality for broadcasting virtual meetings. (File)

As staffers and council members have begun conducting semi-virtual meetings at the City Hall council chambers, some audio quality issues have arisen for those who listen in on the phone in real time.

That’s because the chamber room’s communications system wasn’t originally designed to accommodate in-person meetings that could also be broadcasted remotely.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said those issues should be sorted out in time for the next scheduled council meeting on Aug. 10, as the city’s IT department is working to retrofit a new computer system that will provide for better sound processing.

“We’ve heard complaints about people being able to only hear every third word or being muffled,” Poe said. “Hopefully, we’ll have something in place, and hopefully it’ll work for the next meeting.”

With that, council president Charles Proctor expressed his appreciation for Mike Panak, the  city’s IT director, for helping set up a virtual meeting system on the fly, over the course of the shutdown.

“I’m sure this has been difficult for him to run all of this, and get all this, and I’m sure this has been a nightmare for him, and I really appreciate the fine job done, especially when we were meeting virtually,” Proctor said.

The council president also thanked the city’s entire staff for its dedication and its work to keep the municipality running over the last several months.

“This has been one of the most difficult times in our country’s history, and we have such an amazing group of employees that are so faithful. They show up to work, do an amazing job, even through all this nightmare that we’ve all been living.

“From the guy on the back of the truck to our police and city manager, I’m just so thankful that we have such an amazing team,” Proctor said.

Published August 05, 2020