FORT WORTH -- A drive-in theater planned for the Trinity Uptown near LaGrave Field won't open until at least mid-July, the project's developer said this week.
In February, the Tarrant Regional Water District agreed to lease about 20 acres just south of the baseball stadium off north Main Street to Dallas-based Coyote Theaters for development of a drive-in movie theater. At that time, Brady Wood, spearheading the project for Coyote Theaters, thought it would be possible to have the three-screen theater up and running by the end of May."That was a stretch," Wood said. "It's something that's going to take more time. It's more involved. I'm hopeful it's July. That's what I'm pushing for."J.D. Granger, the water district's director of Trinity River development, said officials would rather see Coyote not rush an opening if it's not ready."They're working very, very hard to open as quickly as possible," Granger said. "If they need to push it back to have a stronger opening in early fall, we understand. If they have to wait, we're supportive of it."Despite the delay, Wood said the drive-in will be bigger and better than initially planned. Coyote is adding more amenities and a larger food menu and buying top-of-the-line digital equipment. Landscaping is being improved, and the children's playground is being enlarged. The movie screens are being built in Ohio."We just returned from the National Association of Theater Owners conference, and we've bought the very best digital projectors," Wood said.Slowing the project is engineering work to improve the drainage and grading of the parking lots, he said."Nobody's going slowly on this," he said. "It's taking time to get all the information needed to get good bids."The water district owns the parking lots for its $909 million Trinity River Vision flood-control and economic development project. It likely won't need the property for that project for about 10 years. Rather than letting it sit unused, the water district decided to generate some revenue and build some branding for Trinity Uptown. It has other projects in the works elsewhere along the river.The theater expects to show first-run movies. Moviegoers will be able to watch from their cars, rent cabanas or set up chairs in a designated seating area under pavilions. The movie soundtrack will play through car radios.Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727Twitter: @SandraBakerFWSTHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
