Harkins Theatres announced Thursday that a movie theater is coming to Tucson Mall. Pictured here is the Harkins theater in the Spectrum shopping center near West Irvington Road.

After nearly 40 years in operation, Tucson Mall is finally getting a movie theater.

Harkins Theatres plans to build a 14-screen luxury cinema at the mall on Oracle and Wetmore roads.

The new theater will feature 85-foot curved screens, leather reclining seats and 3D object-based sound across more than 150 speakers.

It will be Arizona-based Harkins’ third location in Tucson.

Customers will be able to get reserved seating and the concessions will feature beer, wine, Harkins’ Big Screen Burger, crispy chicken sandwiches and artisan flatbreads.

The lobby will have games and virtual reality attractions.

“The news of Harkins opening in Tucson Mall is really exciting for that part of town,” said Nancy McClure, first vice president with CBRE. “It is a natural to have a movie theater in a regional mall with the number of people they draw and the significant parking, (and) certainly in keeping with the trend of retail centers wanting to augment the opportunity for customer experience.”

The mall has never had its own theater, but a neighboring movie theater at the old Galleria Mall, just north of Tucson Mall, operated for more than 25 years as American and Oracle View cinemas.

It closed in 2015 when Comcast leased the building for its IT, call center and social media operations.

“As a native Tucsonan, I grew up going to Tucson Mall and have been looking for the right opportunity to bring a state-of-the-art theater here for nearly 20 years,” said Mike Bowers, president and CEO of Harkins Theatres.

“I am especially thrilled to be finally announcing our most luxurious cinema to all our loyal moviegoers, friends and families in the Old Pueblo,” Bowers said.

The exact location of the theater at Tucson Mall was not disclosed, so it’s unclear if the theater will occupy an existing space or be a new build. A spokeswoman for Harkins said full details will be provided at a later time.

Regardless of where the theater locates at the mall, industry observers say it will be a boon for Tucson Mall.

“A theater has been a significant void not only to the mall but to the entire Tucson Mall trade area,” said retail broker Greg Furrier, with Picor. “That will obviously boost the sales of the nearby tenants at the mall. The restaurants have the most to gain.”


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Contact reporter Gabriela Rico at grico@tucson.com or Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz