Lansing Twp. - There is one more place to go to take a break from an afternoon of consumerism at the new Eastwood Towne Center.
Shuffled behind J. Crew and Pottery Barn lies Neighborhood Cinema Group's new addition to Lansing's growing collection of movie theaters. And just in time.
Not only is the Christmas shopping season on the horizon, but the release of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" makes NCG's arrival timely.
Construction crews and electricians worked frantically Thursday to put the finishing touches on the new floor and lighting mere hours before its grand opening and open house.
Joe Geiger, promotional manager, said NCG spared no expense on sound, seats and comfort.
"It's a perfect destination," Geiger said. The complex "is going to be a big draw for us," he said. "There are nice restaurants, nice stores, and it's a good match."
The posh interior comes complete with fiber optic trim lighting, concession stands on both levels, televisions looking down on the lobby and arcade games for the kids at heart. In all, including land usage, the $16 million facility is designed with comfort in mind.
Geiger, a 2002 MSU graduate said NCG hopes to draw out-of-towners in the area for shopping.
"It's going to be such a reach with the new mall and an 18-screen theater. It's going to reach people from the east side of Grand Rapids to the west side of Detroit because of the stores that are here."
NCG will also will have to dip into an audience used to the movie experience at Celebration Cinema, 200 E. Edgewood Blvd, he said.
"There are the same amount of screens and we have a few more seats, more parking," he said. "Yeah, we're competing with them but we're drawing a different crowd that will make use of the mall."
Not only will the new theater benefit from the existing shopping center, but both are expected to mutually give each other business.
Pottery Barn department coordinator Sarah Hartenburg said the new theater will add to the traffic going through the store.
"We will get people waiting for their movie, browsing through here," she said. "There are a lot of people who do their shopping before or after their movies start, especially around the holidays coming up. If they get their ticket, they are not going to sit in their car."
With Christmas shopping heating up, Hartenburg said she is seeing more customers come through the store, and is expecting more as a result of the theater.
"It will raise (traffic) some because of the moviegoers," she said.
"You have the people shopping for Christmas and the additional moviegoers that might have something in mind."
