Kinepolis was given the green light today for the construction and operation of a new cinema complex in Utrecht Jaarbeurs. Planning permission had been obtained from the municipality of Utrecht, and was today ratified by the Netherlands Council of State. The megaplex cinema in Utrecht will house 14 theatres and provide seating for 3,300 cinema-goers. As such, it will be one of the largest cinema complexes in the Netherlands. Kinepolis is aiming to attract more than 1.25 million visitors a year to its Utrecht Jaarbeurs cinema.
"We're delighted with the ruling and we're looking forward to offering the people of Utrecht the ultimate movie experience," says CEO Eddy Duquenne.
Mid 2014, Kinepolis bought the Wolff group cinema chain, thus acquiring 9 existing cinemas in the Netherlands. The acquisition agreement included two new construction projects, including the megaplex in Utrecht Jaarbeurs and a new cinema complex in Dordrecht. Work already started in Dordrecht earlier this year. Kinepolis will also build a new cinema in Breda. The construction of this complex will be started soon.