Former Dominick's To Become Suburban Cinema
(CBS) -- For two years, its' been a vacant building with an empty parking lot.
But now, plans to use a shuttered Dominick's supermarket site for a new movie theatre are the talk of the town.
Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland says community leaders have been looking to secure a business that would fit well in the property.
"We wanted something that is of real quality," he says.
That real quality, he says, will come with a 10-screen theatre and 1,300 powered reclining chairs. It would be built by Emagine Entertainment, Inc., which is based in Troy, Mich., the village says.
"There's no doubt this will be a major attraction, not just for Frankfort, but all over this local area," Holland says.
It's also good news for local merchants like Tony D'Ortenzio, who owns a retail store, Distinctive Gold Jewelry, in the same shopping center.
"That's going to bring loads of foot traffic," he says. "We are super-excited. It's like the perfect fit for us."
There were 72 Dominick's supermarkets when the chain shut down.
Most buildings got scooped up by other grocery stores, while about 30 are vacant today.
A handful got re-purposed in creative ways, such as a fitness center in Lincolnwood and two craft stores in the northwest suburbs.
