Bulldozers clear the way for movie theater complex near Rupp Arena

Bulldozers continue to clear a site on South Broadway and High streets for the proposed and long-delayed Krikorian Theater.

Representatives of Krikorian Premiere Theatres did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment on the status of the theater. The theater got a land disturbance permit in late February, which would allow the company to start preparing the site for construction. A building permit was issued in March, according to city records.

The planned theater complex was announced in March 2014. In 2015, Krikorian released plans for the new complex that showed a 12-screen movie theater, a sports bar, bowling alley and laser tag. It would also include a 100-foot-wide screen that would play movies in a format similar to IMAX. At the time, plans called for the multistory theater to be built in front of the current parking garage on the property.

It’s not clear if those plans have changed.

The corner of High and Broadway has long been seen as an ideal location for a new theater complex because it’s within walking distance of the University of Kentucky and is across the street from Rupp Arena and the attached convention center. Most of the city’s theater screens are in the suburban Hamburg and Nicholasville Road areas.

This story was originally published April 15, 2018 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Bulldozers clear the way for movie theater complex near Rupp Arena."