By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
The Maine Mall Revitalization project, which proposes to bring a 14-screen movie theater, three restaurants and an additional 43,000 square feet of retail space to the area, has the potential to receive final approval from the South Portland Planning Board next week.
General Growth Properties (GGP), which owns the Maine Mall, requested postponement at the Sept. 25 planning board meeting to allow for more time for Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approvals. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 23.
Jim Graham, GGP’s director of public affairs, said the project entails converting the former Filene’s building into a 14-screen, 3,200 seat “state of the art” movie theater. While GGP has been in talks with Regal Cinemas, Graham said they have not made any final decisions about which company will occupy the space.
Just down the road from the Maine Mall, construction of another movie theater is scheduled to begin shortly.
Bob Collins, director of marketing for Zyacorp Companies, which owns the Cinemagic stadium theaters franchise, said construction at the former Regal Cinema site in the Shops at Clarks Pond is scheduled to begin this month.
The eight-screen theater will feature stadium seating, digital sound and projection and a café with food offerings beyond the traditional popcorn, soda and candy, Collins said.  
Collins said the theater is expected to be complete in January 2008.
Zyacorp, headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, has signed an agreement with the IMAX Corporation to build two new IMAX theaters, one of which will be built in southern Maine. Collins said Zyacorp hopes to announce the location this month.
The Maine Mall plan also calls for the expansion of the JC Penney store, the creation of a 254-space parking field in the former wooded lot at the southern corner of the Maine Mall and the construction of three new restaurants.
Graham said two of the restaurants will be built at the corner of Gorham Road and Philbrook Avenue and the third will be constructed inside the mall, next to the new theater.
“We are currently negotiating with a number of restaurant operators, but don’t have any to announce yet,” Graham said on Wednesday.
South Portland Planning Director Tex Haeuser said initially the plans included a $1 million storm water management system to meet DEP requirements, which he said are “quite stiff given we’re in the Long Creek watershed.”
With intervention from conservation group, an agreement was reached with GGP to go beyond the DEP requirements and implement additional water quality improvements.
Haeuser said city staff had requested a “green” roof design for the former Filene’s building such as the installation of low planters on the roof to absorb rainwater.
“General Growth Properties looked at that and came to the conclusion it wouldn’t do very much,” Haeuser said. “They didn’t think it was feasible in terms of the benefit, but instead are going to be contributing $30,000 toward a study of how roof storm water could be managed and treated relative to Long Creek and throughout the city.”
Haeuser said the study ultimately could lead to ordinance changes.
“We have some confidence that this $30,000 study will be practical and will be used,” he said.