Dream screen coming to town

US group Reading International is planning a multimillion-dollar remake of its Cannon Park complex in Townsville including a new cinema featuring the latest Titan Luxe experience.

Titan Luxe is being marketed as a revolution in movie viewing with the biggest screen, explosive sound and premium reclining seating.

The group’s director of property development, Scott Jarzynka, said they wanted to retain Cannon Park’s position as the top entertainment precinct in Townsville.

“We see the growth here, we see the opportunity. We want to lift what we feel is already the best entertainment precinct in Townsville and lift that and modernise it,” Mr Jarzynka said.

Reading has lodged a development application with Townsville City Council for an extension to its six-cinema complex, as well as more food and drink outlets and shops.

Under the plans, a new Titan Luxe cinema would be added to the front of the existing complex, along with an enlarged foyer and more retail areas.

A further five tenancies are planned for the restaurant areas surrounding the cinemas.

Reading also wants to lift the common areas with more seating, improved al fresco dining and an area for outdoor entertainment for live music and buskers.

Movies shown in Titan Luxe, now being rolled out nationally, are presented digitally with a new state-of-the-art Dolby Digital projection system.

They also feature the Dolby Atmos 360-degree immersive sound system.

One of Cannon Park’s longeststanding traders, Hog’s Breath franchisee Ben Harrison, said the plans were “awesome”.

He said the idea of providing more regular outdoor entertainment with buskers and street performers and more space for outdoor dining was “really exciting” and something they had always wanted.

Reading International bought the Cannon Park complex and an associated discount centre including Kingpin Bowling Townsville from Willows shopping centre operator Dexus for $33 million in 2015.

Neville Smith, associate director of Colliers International, the managing agent for the property, said the redevelopment would cement Cannon Park as the number one food and hospitality destination in Townsville.

The Townsville cinema is one of the group’s best-performing complexes in Australia.

Subject to planning approvals and Reading board approval, work on the redevelopment could start in the first quarter of 2020.